Pawsitive Care: Canine-Assisted Intervention for Anxiety in ICU Patients and Family Members: A Single-Center, Single-Arm Study

Kathleen E. Cook; Clare Robertson; Kiran Kumar Gudivada; Imogen Mitchell; Mary Nourse; Megan M. Hosey; Catherine C. Paterson; Sumeet Rai

doi:10.1097/cce.0000000000001258

April 28, 2025Critical Care ExplorationsOpen Access

Pawsitive Care: Canine-Assisted Intervention for Anxiety in ICU Patients and Family Members: A Single-Center, Single-Arm Study

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Key Points

To assess the therapeutic effect of canine-assisted intervention on anxiety symptoms, pain levels, and physiological parameters in intensive care unit patients and their family members.
Prospective, single-center, single-arm, within-subject study conducted in a tertiary hospital ICU enrolling 141 participants (70 patients aged ≥16 years and 71 family members).
Participants received individual canine-assisted intervention sessions lasting at least 15 minutes.
The primary outcome was change in the Visual Analog Scale for Anxiety (VAS-A); secondary outcomes included the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, vital signs, and intervention-related adverse events.
Median VAS-A anxiety scores decreased significantly from 5 (IQR 1–7) to 0 (IQR 0–4; p < 0.001) in patients and from 6 (IQR 5–8) to 3 (IQR 1–5; p < 0.001) in family members, with reductions of ≥2 points achieved in 62% (56/70) of patients and 93% (63/68) of family members.
Median Numeric Pain Rating Scale scores among patients declined from 0 (IQR 0–5) pre-intervention to 0 (IQR 0–2) post-intervention (p < 0.001).
No significant changes occurred in patient heart rate, respiratory rate, or systolic blood pressure, and no dog bites, scratches, or adverse events were reported.

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Implication

Single-arm study demonstrates reduced anxiety and pain following canine-assisted therapy in ICU patients and families, suggesting therapy dogs offer safe relief in critical care.

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Cite This Study

Cook et al. (2025) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6ab4af225d0091e00bf64172 https://doi.org/10.1097/cce.0000000000001258

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Pawsitive Care: Canine-Assisted Intervention for Anxiety in ICU Patients and Family Members: A Single-Center, Single-Arm Study

Key Points

No abstract yet

Implication

Discussion

Cite This Study

Pawsitive Care: Canine-Assisted Intervention for Anxiety in ICU Patients and Family Members: A Single-Center, Single-Arm Study

Key Points

No abstract yet

Implication

Discussion

Cite This Study

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