RECOGNITION, ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF ANXIETY IN THE CRITICAL CAREPATIENT

A multidisciplinary group of experts involved in the treatment of crit ically ill patients participated in a workshop conference designed to develop practice recommendations for the recognition, assessment, and treatment of anxiety in the critical care environment. Anxiety was ide ntified as a ubiquitous problem in critical case that may interfere wi th healing and recovery. The faculty agreed that clinicians should be familiar with the signs and symptoms of anxiety and should be able to determine when interventions are necessary. Whenever possible, nonphar macologic methods for anxiolysis should be incorporated into intensive care protocols. Intensive care personnel should be trained in those i nterventions that require specialized expertise, and they should becom e familiar with the drugs available for the treatment of anxiety. Prot ocols for determining the best agents to be used in a given setting an d their most appropriate method of administration should be establishe d. Pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments are not mutually excl usive but should be complementary. Finally, procedures for obtaining p sychiatric consultation, when necessary, should be in place.