Awakening Awareness: Study assesses Impact of Communication on Pain Perception in Anesthetized ICU Patients
Recent study aimed to explore the impact of verbal communication on the consciousness level, pain, and agitation of anesthetized patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The researchers conducted a double-blind randomized controlled trial with 70 anesthetized patients in an ICU setting in Iran.
Methodology
The patients were randomly assigned to an intervention group that received verbal communication twice daily for 10 days, and a control group that received routine ICU care without verbal communication. The researchers used validated tools to measure the patients' level of consciousness (Glasgow Coma Scale), pain (Behavioral Pain Scale), and agitation (Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale) before and after the intervention.
Results
The results showed that the intervention group experienced a significant improvement in consciousness level, reduction in pain, and decrease in agitation compared to the control group over the 10-day period. Before the intervention, there were significant differences between the groups in consciousness level and agitation, but not in pain. After the intervention, the trends over time revealed that the verbal communication group had greater improvements in all three outcomes compared to the control group.
Conclusion and Implications
The researchers suggest that the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the verbal communication intervention make it a valuable nursing practice to facilitate the recovery process and enhance the quality of care for anesthetized ICU patients. However, they acknowledge the need for larger studies to confirm these findings, given the small sample size and potential confounding variables inherent in the unique ICU patient population. Overall, the study provides evidence that structured verbal communication by nurses can positively impact the clinical status of sedated, critically ill patients.
Key Points
Here are the 6 key points from the research paper:
1. The study explored the impact of verbal communication on the consciousness level, pain, and agitation of anesthetized patients in the intensive care unit (ICU).
2. The study used a double-blind randomized controlled trial design with 70 anesthetized ICU patients in Iran, divided into an intervention group that received verbal communication twice daily for 10 days and a control group that received routine ICU care.
3. The researchers used validated tools to measure the patients' level of consciousness, pain, and agitation before and after the intervention.
4. The results showed that the intervention group experienced significant improvements in consciousness level, reduction in pain, and decrease in agitation compared to the control group over the 10-day period.
5. The researchers suggest that the verbal communication intervention is a simple and cost-effective nursing practice that can facilitate the recovery process and enhance the quality of care for anesthetized ICU patients.
6. The researchers acknowledge the need for larger studies to confirm these findings, given the small sample size and potential confounding variables in the unique ICU patient population.
Reference –
Ali Talebi et al. (2025). Effect Of Nurse’S Verbal Communication On The Level Of Consciousness, Pain, And Agitation In Anesthetized Patients Admitted To The Intensive Care Unit: A Double-Blind Clinical Trial. *BMC Anesthesiology*, 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12871-025-03071-5.
