[Mechanical ventilation with explicit recall: a concept analysis.]

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Psychology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Mechanical ventilation necessitates sedation to manage patient comfort and reduce agitation.
• Explicit recall, remembering perceptions during sedation, can lead to severe psychological distress.
• The concept of explicit recall lacks a clear definition and consistent terminology in medical literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the concept of explicit recall in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation.
• To establish a clear definition and understanding of explicit recall using a rigorous conceptual analysis.

Main Methods:

• A conceptual analysis was performed using Rodgers' evolutionary method.
• Sixty-eight interdisciplinary articles were systematically reviewed and analyzed.

Main Results:

• Explicit recall occurs after anesthesia or sedation, with variable individual responses to medication.
• The phenomenon is characterized as perceptive, interpretative, subjective, dynamic, and temporal.
• Psychological consequences following explicit recall can include post-traumatic stress disorder.

Conclusions:

• Explicit recall is a complex phenomenon with significant psychological implications for mechanically ventilated patients.
• A standardized definition and understanding are crucial for managing patients and mitigating adverse psychological outcomes.
• Further research is needed to explore the trajectory and long-term psychological impact of explicit recall.