ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
Open Visiting Policy and Delirium in Adult Patients in ICUs: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Pooled result · Delirium occurrenceResult — go to the resultRelative risk 0.48 95% CI 0.29–0.81Authors' conclusion
Open/flexible ICU family presence may reduce delirium and shorten the duration of IMV slightly, without increasing infections or ICU mortality, although the certainty of evidence is low and heterogeneity remains substantial.
Study context
- Population
- Adult patients admitted to ICUs
- Participants
- 3,861 patients · 13 randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
- Comparison
- Open or flexible vs. restricted ICU visiting policies
- Outcome
- Delirium occurrence
Methodological detailsrandom-effects models
- Random-effects models
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Relative risk
0.48
95% CI 0.29–0.81
Open/flexible family presence vs Restricted policies
RR 0.48 (95% CI 0.29–0.81)
Further pooled results
| Outcome | MD (d) (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV)Low certainty | −0.36 (−0.46 to −0.26) | |
| ICU length of stayVery low certainty | 4.21 (−4.65 to 13.07) | |
| −1001020Difference, d (linear scale) |
| Outcome | RR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| ICU mortalityVery low certainty | 0.88 (0.72–1.08) | |
| 0.512Relative risk (log scale) |
Safety
| Outcome | RR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital-acquired infectionsLow certainty | 1.00 (0.81–1.23) | |
| 0.512Relative risk (log scale) |
Original publication
Open Visiting Policy and Delirium in Adult Patients in ICUs: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. Crit Care Med. Published 15 October 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →