Opening ICU: Is there a role for minors?

The progressive opening up of Intensive Care Units (ICUs) has brought about a series of questions regarding the presence of relatives alongside patients in intensive care, also for extended periods of time.The presence of visitors in the ward would appear to exacerbate the situation, while at the same time opening up communicative, relational and ethical issues regarding the experience of critical illness, as lived by patients, families or health care professionals (HCPs).Due to the opening up of ICUs, it seemed necessary to take into greater consideration the access of minors in particular, whether infants, children or adolescents. The reason for this particular interest lies in the fact that minors are relatives of a various degree from that of the hospitalised patient.The access of minors in ICUs appears to be an aspect that should not be neglected, but should instead be managed with great care when suggested and planned by the ward staff.Following these observations, an operational protocol was written, which could determine the access of minors and then guide them with the family and HCPs through the various phases of their visits to ICUs. The execution of the procedure also proved to stimulate more in-depth training and greater professionalism on the part of the HCPs and provided them with practical guidance, thus resolving their previous sensations of unease and of being ill-prepared with respect to conducting a minor through the experience of illness.