The Effect of a Quality Improvement Intervention on Sleep and Delirium in Critically Ill Patients in a Surgical ICU.

Background: Delirium is a deleterious condition affecting up to 60% of patients in the surgical ICU (SICU). Few SICU-focused delirium interventions have been implemented, including those addressing sleep-wake disruption, a modifiable delirium risk factor common in critically ill patients.

Research Question: What is the effect on delirium and sleep quality of a multicomponent nonpharmacologic intervention aimed at improving sleep-wake disruption in patients in the SICU setting?

Study Design And Methods: Using a staggered pre-post design, we implemented a quality improvement intervention in two SICUs (general surgery or trauma and cardiovascular) in an academic medical center.