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Intensive care delusions hamper recovery

Blogs General Research

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

People admitted to intensive care have experienced feelings of being trapped in metal tubes, alien abduction, and having a gun to their head, amongst other things. While none of this really happened, for patients struggling with hospital-acquired delirium they seemed all too real.

These experiences are just some uncovered by the Critical Care Research Group at the University of Oxford. Lead researcher Julie Darbyshire explained: 'Delirium is a well-known consequence of prolonged stays in intensive care. Until now, research has focused on how medical staff can identify and treat the condition. But there has been almost no research on patients' experiences.'

Read more (Oxford Science Blog)

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