Effects of an interactive handgrip game on surgical patients requiring intensive care: An assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of an interactive handgrip game on psychological distress and handgrip strength among critically ill surgical patients.

DESIGN

A randomised controlled trial.

SETTING

A surgical intensive care unit.

INTERVENTION: Participants were enrolled in the program within 48 hours of admission to the intensive care unit. Patients in the intervention group played a 20-minute interactive handgrip game twice daily for a maximum of three days in the intensive care unit in addition to routinely passive physical rehabilitation. Patients in the routine care group had a daily target of 20 min of passive physical rehabilitation as needed.

MEASUREMENT: The primary outcomes included depression, anxiety, and stress measured using the shortened version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Score scale. The secondary outcomes were perceived sleep evaluated using the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire, delirium assessed using the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist, and handgrip strength measured using handgrip dynamometry within a handgrip device.

RESULTS

Two hundred and twenty-seven patients were eligible and 70 patients were recruited in the intervention (n = 35) and routine care groups (n = 35). The patients in the intervention group had lower scores (median = 6.0, 4.0, and 12.0) for depression, anxiety, and stress compared with those in the routine care group (12.0, 12.0, and 20.0; all p < 0.05). The interactive handgrip game did not significantly improve sleep quality and prevent the occurrence of delirium (both p > 0.05). The patients who received the interactive handgrip game intervention exhibited significantly enhanced handgrip strength in both hands over time (both p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

An interactive handgrip game may benefit the psychological well-being and handgrip strength of critically ill patients.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: Interactive handgrip games is effective active exercise which should be integrated into routine nursing practice.