Enhancing the Communication of Suddenly Speechless Critical Care Patients.

Background: Sudden speechlessness is common in critically ill patients who are intubated or have had surgery for head and neck cancer. Sudden inability to speak poses challenges for hospitalized patients because strategies to facilitate communication are often limited and unreliable.

Objective: To determine the impact of a technology-based communication intervention on patients' perception of communication difficulty, satisfaction with communication methods, and frustration with communication.

Development of a communication intervention to assist hospitalized suddenly speechless patients.

Healthcare staff face significant challenges while caring for hospitalized patients experiencing sudden inability to verbalize their needs (sudden speechlessness). Familiar methods of communication such as non-verbal strategies are limited and often fail to assist suddenly speechless patients (SS) communicate their needs. Consequently, strategies tailored to the needs of hospitalized speechless patients are necessary, and must consider factors intrinsic to the patients and the complexities of the acute care environment.

Prevalence of sudden speechlessness in critical care units.

Sudden speechlessness (SS) is commonly experienced by patients admitted to critical care units. Although literature findings document challenges associated with periods of SS, the prevalence is unknown. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and characteristics of adult SS patients in four critical care units at a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital.

Effective dyspnea management strategies identified by elders with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The study's purpose was to identify dyspnea management strategies (DMS) perceived most effective by elders with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The mixed-method design also incorporated triangulation to compare results between qualitative and quantitative data. Specific DMS were selected and percentage effectiveness was rated.

Clinical management of stressors perceived by patients on mechanical ventilation.

Psychological and psychosocial stressors perceived by the mechanically ventilated patient include intensive care unit environmental factors, communication factors, stressful symptoms, and the effectiveness of interventions. The studies reviewed in this article showed four stressors commonly identified by mechanically ventilated patients including dyspnea, anxiety, fear, and pain. Few interventional studies to reduce these stressors are available in the literature.