ABSTRACT
In the busyness of attempting to resolve acute physiological crises, psychological care may be relegated to afterthoughts. But physiology and psychology interact; psychological stressors cause physiological stress responses (see Chapters 1 and 32):
■ tachypnoea ■ tachycardia ■ hypertension ■ hyperglycaemia ■ immunocompromise and ■ oedema formation
all usually complicating critical illness. Factors causing acute confusion and psychological distress to critically ill
patients include
■ acute cerebral hypoxia/ischaemia/damage ■ sensory imbalance ■ sleep deprivation and ■ fear/anxiety.
