Animal-Assisted Interventions for Psychological Distress During Prolonged Intensive Care Unit Stay: A Case Report

Lung transplant is a critical treatment for patients with end-stage lung disease, but recovery is often complicated by physiological and psychological challenges. This case report describes a 61-year-old female bilateral orthotopic lung transplant recipient who experienced significant psychological decline during an extended intensive care unit stay and the use of animal-assisted interventions to address these challenges.

The patient experienced multiple postoperative complications, including coagulopathy, venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for hypoxia, delayed chest closure, right ventricular dysfunction, acute kidney injury, adrenal insufficiency, hypogammaglobulinemia, diaphragmatic paralysis, antibody-mediated rejection, bacteremia, and severe deconditioning.

The patient's psychological decline manifested through increased somnolence, reduced engagement in physical therapy, and minimal interaction with family and health care professionals.

Weekly animal-assisted interventions were introduced to improve mood and increase motivation. These sessions involved therapy animals with the goal of enhancing the patient's psychological well-being.

The patient responded positively to animal-assisted interventions, showing improved mood, increased engagement, and participation in rehabilitation. The theoretical framework of acceptability was used to assess the intervention's success, with results indicating high acceptability and effectiveness.

Animal-assisted interventions addressed the patient's psychological challenges during prolonged intensive care unit stays following lung transplant. The intervention improved both psychological well-being and patient engagement. Theoretical framework of acceptability scores supported the acceptability of animal-assisted interventions, suggesting that these should be considered as part of an interprofessional approach to managing prolonged hospitalizations in transplant recipients.