Effect of an ICU Diary on PTSD Symptoms Among Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation

jamanetwork.com July 16, 2019

Keeping a diary for patients while they are in the intensive care unit (ICU) might reduce their posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.

Among 657 patients who were randomized completed the trial. At 3 months, significant PTSD symptoms were reported by 49 of 164 patients (29.9%) in the intervention group vs 60 of 175 (34.3%) in the control group. The median IES-R score was 12 in the intervention group vs 13 in the control group. There were no significant differences in any of the 6 prespecified comparative secondary outcomes.

Among patients who received mechanical ventilation in the ICU, the use of an ICU diary filled in by clinicians and family members did not significantly reduce the number of patients who reported significant PTSD symptoms at 3 months. These findings do not support the use of ICU diaries for preventing PTSD symptoms.