[Can children visit their relatives in an adult ICU?]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pediatric Psychology
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Critically ill cancer patients in intensive care units (ICUs) often face psychological distress.
• The presence of visiting children in adult ICUs is typically restricted, potentially increasing patient and family anxiety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a new policy allowing children (0-18 years) to visit parents in an oncology ICU.
• To assess the psychological burden on critically ill cancer patients, their children, families, and nursing staff.

Main Methods:

• A liberalized visitation and education policy for children was implemented.
• A dedicated procedure was developed to prepare children for the visit and mitigate potential trauma.
• Questionnaires were administered to visiting children, patients, parents, and nursing staff after two years.

Main Results:

• The policy led to dramatic improvements in the daily lives of nursing staff, visiting children, families, and patients.
• Positive outcomes were observed even in challenging medical situations.
• Preliminary findings and staff/patient feedback were favorable, leading to policy adoption.

Conclusions:

• Allowing children to visit parents in the oncology ICU is beneficial and should be considered.
• This policy significantly reduced psychological burden and improved overall well-being.
• The policy warrants evaluation and potential implementation in other types of intensive care units.