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J Pediatr Intensive Care
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1770081
Original Article

Stuck in the Dark: No Association between Light, Sound, and Delirium in the PICU

Kara D. Greenfield 
1   Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States
,
Oliver Karam 
2   Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Yale Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
,
A.M. Iqbal O'Meara
1   Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States
› Author Affiliations Funding This study was funded by The Children's Hospital Foundation in Richmond, Virginia.
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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between sound and light variables and development of delirium in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients within the subsequent 3 days. Light and sound were continuously measured, and patient-specific data were collected daily. Outcomes included presence of delirium, determined by Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium (CAPD) score ≥ 9 on at least 1 day, and development of delirium in the subsequent 3 days. One hundred and forty-two patients were enrolled, totaling 896 study days. Delirium prevalence was 31%. Neurologic diagnosis, younger age, longer PICU stay, restraints, benzodiazepines, opiate infusion, and dexmedetomidine were associated with delirium. Nighttime sound peaks (>70 and >80 dB) were not associated with delirium (p = 0.94 and 0.36, respectively). Light intensity during midday hours (12:00, 1:00, 2:00 pm) was not associated with the development of delirium (p=0.93, 0.81, 0.83, respectively), nor was maximum light at night, difference between maximum daytime and nighttime light, or between maximum and minimum daytime light (p = 0.15, 0.46, and 0.96, respectively). When adjusting for covariables, none of the sound or light variables was associated with delirium. Despite increasing awareness of pediatric delirium, data surrounding modifiable risk factors and concrete treatment strategies are lacking. We found no significant association between light or sound and development of delirium in PICU patients. However, there was little difference between daytime and nighttime light and sound, which may have impacted findings. As the etiology of delirium is multifactorial and potentially different for individual patients, targeted light/dark cycles warrant further study as they relate to delirium and critical illness.

Keywords

critical illness - delirium - child - sound - light


Publication History

Received: 29 March 2023

Accepted: 15 May 2023

Article published online:
19 June 2023

© 2023. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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