2022 Volume 13 Issue 1 Pages 22-28
In recent years, the focus of intensive care for critically ill patients is not merely to improve short-term survival but also to improve functional prognosis after discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU). Therefore, critical care practitioners primarily aim to restore patients’ physical and mental health to the pre-ICU status. The ICU is a stressful environment owing to restricted physical activity, social isolation, and exposure to noise and light in the ICU setting. Post intensive care syndrome (PICS) affects a patient’s long-term prognosis; therefore, prevention of PICS is important, and multi-professional collaboration is essential for optimal health care delivery. Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) requires strict bed rest, which prevents early mobilization and rehabilitation. The alarm system (noise) and light from the CRRT machine interfere with patients’ quality of night-time sleep. The aforementioned adverse effects on patients’ sleep and mobilization are considered CRRT trauma. Maintenance of physical activity and good quality night-time sleep are important during the ICU stay. In this review article, we discuss the role of clinical engineering technology to minimize the adverse effects of CRRT.
