NCT07159568

Pets Enhancing Therapeutics in Intensive Care Units

Visits by Pet Dogs to Patients Admitted to Intensive Care at the Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital: Feasibility Study

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 21 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University Hospital, Clermont-Ferrand · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are well known for their therapeutic and environmental aggressiveness. Current recommendations for the management of critically ill patients, including the "ABCDEF bundle," emphasize family engagement and liberal visitation policies for relatives and loved ones, with the aim of improving patient well-being during their ICU stay. In France, half of all households own a pet. This close relationship between humans and animals explains why animals have long been involved in medical care. The earliest known use of animals in medicine dates back to the 9th century in Belgium, where they were used to assist individuals with mental illness. More recently, companion animal-assisted interventions have attracted growing interest due to their potential diagnostic and/or therapeutic value, as they may enhance the patient experience during hospitalization. The feasibility, safety, and potential benefits of pet visitation policies have mainly been assessed in conventional hospital wards, but remain understudied in the ICU setting. In France, to our knowledge, only three hospitals have allowed pet visits in the ICU, and these occurred outside of any research protocol. The study primary objective is to assess the feasibility of companion dog visits in three medical-surgical ICUs.

Conditions

• Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Patients
• Dog Therapy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Pet dog visit	Pet dog visit will take place during dedicated time slots, following prior verification of the dog's hygiene criteria. The dog may stay in the patient's room for a maximum of 15 minutes. After the visit, an evaluation questionnaire will be completed by the healthcare staff and by the relative who accompanied the dog. The patient's evaluation questionnaire will be completed at ICU discharge if patient is able to respond, or at most 28 days after inclusion if the patient remains in the ICU.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-09-15
• Primary completion: 2027-09-15
• Completion: 2027-10-15
• First posted: 2025-09-08
• Last updated: 2025-09-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: France