Evaluation of Respiratory Intensive Care Experiences and Relationships with Nutritional Status Among Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate patients’ experiences in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting and investigate whether there was a correlation between these experiences and their nutritional status. Materials and Methods: This study included patients admitted to the respiratory ICU between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023. Only patients aged 18 years or older were eligible for inclusion. Written and verbal consent was obtained from all participants, while those unable to provide nonverbal communication were excluded from the study. The Intensive Care Experience Questionnaire (ICEQ), developed by Rattray et al. in 2004, was utilized to assess the overall experiences of ICU patients. Results: The ICEQ results were analyzed across four categories: awareness of surroundings, recall of experiences, frightening experiences, and satisfaction with care. A total score was generated by summing the scores of these four categories. While the initial parameters were analyzed as ordinal data, the results for the four subcategories and the total score followed a parametric distribution and were thus analyzed accordingly. Conclusions: These findings reinforce the hypothesis that nutritional support requirements play a critical role in shaping patients’ experiences in the ICU, regardless of their preadmission status. Adequate nutritional support was shown to have a positive effect on ICU experience.