Last utterances of patients in Covid Intensive Care Units: A qualitative study.
Özcan Özdemir, Zeliha Yaman, Mualla Yilmaz
PMID 36842820WHAT IT FOUND
ICU patients wrote family letters expressing love, longing, hope, fear of death, goodbyes and wills.
Half thanked staff. Nurses can offer letter writing when visitors are restricted.
Key findings
01All patients expressed love for family, and half wrote thanks to health workers.
02Patients reported loneliness from isolation and fear of dying, including wanting to die at home.
03All participants wrote goodbye messages asking for halal, and many wrote wills.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was done in two COVID-19 ICUs in one province of Turkey, and the authors say the findings cannot be generalised. Only literate, conscious patients without a writing handicap were included, so it does not describe patients too sick or unable to write. Patients reported difficulty transferring what they wanted to say because of fatigue, so some letters may not capture their full feelings. The data were letters, not interviews, and the authors state the results are specific to the individuals involved.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The paper does not report a funder.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that letter writing reduces loneliness, improves recovery, or helps families grieve. The study reports what patients wrote and how recipients responded, not measured outcomes.