How caregivers view patient comfort and what they do to improve it: a French survey

Annals of Intensive Care

Table 3 Sources of discomfort as evaluated by caregivers

Paramedics	(n = 606)	Physicians	(n = 309)
1. Anxiety	7.5 ± 1.9	1. Sleep disturbance	8 ± 1.6*
2. Feeling of restraint	7.3 ± 2.1	2. Anxiety	7.7 ± 1.8
3. Noise	7 ± 2	3. Noise	7.4 ± 1.8^†
4. Sleep disturbance	7 ± 1.9	4. Feeling of restraint	7.4 ± 2.1
5. Feeling of dependence	6.4 ± 2.2	5. Pain	7.2 ± 2.6*
6. Pain	6.3 ± 2.6	6. Lack of space and time references	6.8 ± 2 *
7. Lack of space and time references	6.2 ±2.1	7. Thirst	6.7 ± 2.4*
8. Thirst	6.1 ± 2.2	8. Lack of information	6.6 ± 2.2*
9. Missing loved ones	5.8 ± 2.2	9. Feeling of dependence	6.5 ± 2.1
10. Lack of information	5.7 ± 2.4	10. Light at night	6.5 ± 2.1*
11. Light at night	5.6 ± 2.3	11. Missing loved ones	6.2 ± 2.1^†
12. Lack of moral support	5.6 ± 2.3	12. Lack of privacy	6.2 ± 2.2*
13. Lack of privacy	5.4 ± 2.4	1. Lack of moral support	6.1 ± 2.2*

Discomfort sources were evaluated by caregivers on a sliding scale, from 0 (not responsible for discomfort) to 10 (responsible for major discomfort). Results are presented in decreasing order for paramedics (left column) and physicians (right column). Data are provided as mean ± SD. *p < 0.001 vs. same source for paramedics; ^†p < 0.05 vs. same source for paramedics.