Prevalence of anxiety in adult patients admitted to the ICU

Progress in intensive care medicine is favouring greater survival in patients admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICU), with anxiety being one of the most frequent diagnoses related to such admissions. The existence of this condition is related to the ICU admission itself and may persist over time, even after the patient has been discharged. It is necessary to recognise the stressors experienced by patients admitted to the ICU, as well as all the connotations that may be conducive to the appearance of anxiety. Following a literature review, a total of 26 scientific articles have been compiled, recording information about anxiety experienced by adults after admission to an ICU. Anxiety is a personal and emotional response for each patient, which precedes the presence of danger, and predisposes the patient to a safety response. The different interventions to be carried out on these patients must be known in order to avoid the appearance of anxiety and where they should be directed for their optimal care.