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Published on: February 16, 2011
A pilot study to explore children's experiences of intensive care post-cardiac arrest using art-based participatory
Donna Thomas1, Graeme O'Connor2
1School of Allied Health and Wellbeing, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.
Insights
Children surviving cardiac arrest face significant long-term impairment, known as Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS). Creative methods like drawing and play effectively capture their unique intensive care experiences, including gratitude and extrasensory perceptions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
- Psychology
- Qualitative Research
Background:
- Children surviving cardiac arrest are at high risk for long-term impairment (Post Intensive Care Syndrome - PICS).
- Understanding children's subjective experiences post-intensive care is crucial for holistic recovery.
- Existing research often lacks child-centered methodologies for exploring critical illness experiences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the intensive care experiences of children and young people (CYP) post-cardiac arrest using participatory and creative methods.
- To identify themes and challenges faced by CYP after surviving critical illness.
- To assess the utility of creative methods in understanding pediatric post-intensive care experiences.
Main Methods:
- Employed participatory research methods including drawing, painting, and small-world play.
- Recruited seven CYP with cognitive and physical ability to engage in creative expression post-cardiac arrest.
- Conducted a median of two interviews per participant, with a median length of 24 minutes.
Main Results:
- Key themes identified were gratitude, distrust, and extrasensory experiences.
- 57% of participants (4/7) used drawing or painting to express their experiences.
- 28% of participants (2/7) used creative methods to convey gratitude despite having no memory of the event.
Conclusions:
- Participatory and creative methods are effective for CYP to communicate their post-cardiac arrest intensive care experiences.
- Critically ill CYP need to make sense of their intensive care journey.
- Healthcare professionals must be sensitive to potentially extrasensory experiences and explore them appropriately.
Abstract:
Children who have survived a cardiac arrest are at the highest risk of long-term impairment, collectively termed Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS). This study aimed to explore through participatory and creative methods, children and young people's (CYP) experiences post-cardiac arrest intensive care. Participatory research includes drawing, painting and small-world play. CYPs were recruited who had been admitted to intensive care post-cardiac arrest and had the cognitive and physical ability to talk, draw, paint or play out their experiences. Seven CYPs and families consented to participate. The median number of interviews was two (IQR2,3), with a median interview length of 24 minutes (IQR15,65 minutes). Themes that emerged: gratitude, distrust and extrasensory experiences. Four of the seven (57%) participants opted to paint or draw to convey their experiences. Two (28%) participants had no memories of their cardiac arrest or time in intensive care but used creative methods to express gratitude to the care team. Participatory research methods may be an effective way for CYPs to convey their experiences of post-cardiac arrest intensive care. CYPs who have been critically ill have expressed a need to make sense of their experiences in intensive care. Healthcare professionals should be aware that these experiences may be deemed as extrasensory and require sensitive exploration.
