The effect of in-hospital follow-up on early post-transfer distress in families of patients in pediatric intensive care unit.

Objective: To explore the effect of in-hospital follow-up on post-intensive care syndrome in families of PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) patients. Methods: A total of 88 families of children admitted to the PICU of Hunan Children's Hospital from January 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023, were selected as research subjects. The control group received routine nursing intervention, while the experimental group, based on the control group's care, established a PICU communication team. The team was divided into three subgroups: the department director and head nurse, Chief resident and Responsible Nurse Team Leader, Doctor in charge of the patient's bed and Person in charge of health education. On the day of Transfer to another department and 3 days after Transfer to another department, one group of personnel communicated face-to-face with the family members regarding the patient's condition and precautions. After the communication, the intervention effects on the parents of the children in both groups were assessed within 30 min using the Post-Intensive Care Syndrome Questionnaire (C-PICSQ), the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Critical Care Family Satisfaction Scale (CCFSS). Measurements and main results: Before the intervention, there were no statistically significant differences in the C-PICSQ scores, DASS-21 scores, and CCFSS scores between the family members of children in the two groups ( Conclusion: In-hospital follow-up can effectively alleviate post-intensive care unit (PICU) syndrome in family members, reduce negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, and stress among parents, improve family satisfaction.