Estimation of critically ill patients' complaints by the nurse, the physician and the patient's family: A prospective comparative study

{Objectives: To evaluate the ability of the families of critically ill patients and of the intensive care team caring for the patient to communicate and accurately identify patients' complaints. Design: The complaints of critically ill patients were evaluated by a psychologist using a list of 12 items. The same day as the patient interview, the psychologist collected an estimation of the patient's complaints from the family, the nurse and the physician. Setting: 20-bed Intensive Care Unit in a large University Hospital. Main Outcome Measures: Patients' complaints. Results: 51 patients were included. The most frequently reported complaints were insomnia, the inability to talk and presence of a tracheal tube. Patients reported a significantly higher prevalence of ``misunderstanding'' than that estimated by the nurses (55% vs 33%