Lighting Therapy for ICU Patients /  by Alawi Luetz

A fundamental aspect of human physiology is its cyclical nature over a 24-h period, a feature conserved across most life on earth. Evidence is emerging that ICU delirium, a syndrome independently associated with increased mortality and long-term morbidity from critical illness, and affecting up to 80% of critically ill patients, is a clinical manifestation of circadian dysrhythmia. There is increasing research activity investigating the impact of lighting on human health.

Watch the clip to learn more about it - now available with subtitles in English :)
The full 45-minute report is available here for the next 12 months.

VITALITY-Study Results to be Presented at ESICM LIVES /  by Alawi Luetz

Together with our project partners ART+COM and GRAFT Architects we developed a new intensive care room concept to reduce patients' anxiety, helplessness, and stress. The patient's perceptions and needs were the starting point of this project. In 2013 we finished the renovation of 2 double ICU rooms. We hypothesised that the delirium incidence for patients treated in the modified rooms is significantly lower when compared to patients treated in the standard rooms.

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Systematic Review: Exposing ICU Patients to Light & Darkness /  by Alawi Luetz

Sleep-wake patterns are often significantly disturbed in critically ill patients. This disturbance is closely linked to secondary brain dysfunctions in these patients. In other contexts, light therapy has been proven to be effective in maintaining and resynchronizing circadian rhythmicity in humans. The objective of this systematic review was to analyze studies that investigated the effect of exposure to light or darkness on physiological measures and clinical outcomes of adult ICU patients.

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