Animal-Assisted Interactions to Alleviate Psychological Symptoms in Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation

Abstract

Mechanical ventilation is a common life support intervention for critically ill patients that can cause stressful psychological symptoms. Animal assisted interactions have been used in variety of inpatient settings to reduce symptom burden and promote overall well-being. Due to the severity of illness associated with critical care, use of highly technological equipment, and heightened concern for infection control and patient safety, animal-assisted interaction has not been widely adopted in the intensive care unit. This case study of the therapeutic interaction between a canine and a mechanically ventilated patient provides support for the promotion of animal-assisted interactions as an innovative symptom management strategy in the intensive care unit.

The State of Animal-Assisted Interventions: Addressing the Contemporary Issues That Will Shape the Future

“…The use of animals is now appearing in therapeutic settings, such as emergency departments [82], acute and hospice care [83,84], and elementary schools [42,85]. An ever-expanding area is the use of animals to prevent or diagnose health issues, such as detecting pathogens in the environment [86,87] or diagnosing cancers [88,89,90].…”

The effects of foot reflexology on agitation and extubation time in male patients following coronary artery bypass surgery: A randomized controlled clinical trial

“…Stay et al (2005) found that acupressure therapy, a form of massage therapy, was effective in improving the symptoms of dyspnea and anxiety in patients who required prolonged mechanical ventilation [15]. Examples of other non-pharmacological therapies that seem to be useful in reducing patients' anxiety during mechanical ventilation include music intervention [16] and animalassisted interactions [17]. Thus, by decreasing patient agitation and anxiety, nonpharmacological therapies may have the potential to reduce the length of ventilation and the associated complications.…”