The stress response, psychoneuroimmunology, and stress among ICU patients.

Multiple stressors, physical and psychological, may beset intensive care unit patients. This article opens with a description of the stress cascade and its connection with immunity. Examples of intensive care unit stressors follow, along with various proposed interventions to reduce psychological stress among intensive care unit patients. Although researchers have yet to establish that such interventions will positively impact immune function, they are an essential component of compassionate and holistic care.