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Cardiopulmonary BypassICU-pNETNCT07632131

Preventive Narrative Exposure Intervention for PTSD in ICU Patients After Cardiopulmonary Bypass Cardiac Surgery

A study testing ICU-Based Preventive Narrative Exposure Intervention in people with Cardiopulmonary Bypass and Intensive Care Units, run by First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University at 1 site in China.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

This clinical trial aims to evaluate whether an ICU-based preventive narrative exposure intervention can help prevent posttraumatic stress symptoms in adult patients after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
ICU-Based Preventive Narrative Exposure Intervention
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
100 participants
Where
1 siteChina
Study dates
6 Jun 2026to 30 Apr 2027
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Aged 18 years or older.
  • Scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, with planned postoperative admission to the cardiac surgical intensive care unit and an expected ICU stay of more than 24 hours.
  • The participant is able to communicate effectively, and the participant and family members are willing to cooperate with the study.
  • Conscious before the first postoperative intervention, negative for delirium as assessed by the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit, and able to understand and complete the intervention and related assessments.

Who cannot join

  • Experienced severe traumatic events within the past year, such as diagnosis of a major disease unrelated to the current cardiac condition in the participant or an immediate family member, or death of an immediate family member or significant other.
  • Currently receiving treatment for mental disorders, including pharmacological treatment or psychotherapy for conditions such as depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
  • History of a clearly diagnosed severe mental disorder, or mental abnormalities caused by organic brain disease.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

China1 site, 1 recruiting
  • The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University

    Fuzhou, Fujian, 35005

    Rongjin Lin, +86-18276524344, Yaling_Qin0202@163.com

    Recruiting

Other trials in China

About this study

Official title: Effects of Preventive Narrative Exposure Intervention on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among ICU Patients After Cardiopulmonary Bypass Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This clinical trial aims to evaluate whether an ICU-based preventive narrative exposure intervention can help prevent posttraumatic stress symptoms in adult patients after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

The study will include adult patients who undergo cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass and are admitted to the cardiac surgical intensive care unit. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group.

Read more

Participants in the control group will receive routine care and routine psychological support. Participants in the intervention group will receive routine care plus an ICU-based preventive narrative exposure intervention supported by an ICU visitor book. The intervention includes preoperative education, review of ICU experiences, construction of a timeline, guided narration of stressful ICU-related events, and integration of the experience before discharge.

The ICU visitor book includes selected photos, family messages, and key recovery events. It is used to help patients better understand and organize their ICU experience.

Researchers will compare the intervention group with the control group to see whether the intervention reduces posttraumatic stress symptoms. The primary outcome is posttraumatic stress symptoms at 1 month after discharge. Secondary outcomes include posttraumatic stress symptoms at 3 months after discharge, ICU memories, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, quality of life, and patient and family satisfaction with ICU care.

The findings may provide evidence for an early psychological nursing intervention to prevent posttraumatic stress disorder in ICU patients after cardiopulmonary bypass cardiac surgery.

Read the detailed description

Patients admitted to the intensive care unit after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass may experience stressful events such as mechanical ventilation, invasive procedures, physical restriction, noise from monitoring devices, sleep disturbance, and uncertainty about their condition. These experiences may lead to fragmented ICU memories, gaps in factual understanding, frightening or unreal memories, and a persistent sense of threat after discharge. These factors may increase the risk of posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Existing supportive approaches, such as routine psychological education or ICU diaries, may help patients obtain factual information and emotional support. However, they may not sufficiently support patients in actively organizing and processing stressful ICU-related memories. Therefore, this study will test an ICU-based preventive narrative exposure intervention designed for patients after cardiopulmonary bypass cardiac surgery.

The intervention is delivered during the perioperative and early recovery period. It uses an ICU visitor book as a narrative support tool. The visitor book contains selected and privacy-protected photos, family messages, and key recovery events. These materials are used to help patients reconstruct the timeline of their ICU experience, understand what happened during treatment, and narrate stressful events in a guided and structured way. The intervention also includes brief education about stress reactions, grounding strategies, review of ICU experiences, and integration of the experience before discharge.

The intervention is preventive rather than therapeutic treatment for diagnosed posttraumatic stress disorder. It is intended to help patients form a more coherent and understandable account of their ICU experience, reduce distress related to fragmented or frightening memories, and support psychological recovery after cardiac surgery.

Being tested
ICU-Based Preventive Narrative Exposure Intervention
Keywords
Cardiopulmonary Bypass, Intensive Care Unit, Narrative Exposure, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Medical subject headings
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • ICU-Based Preventive Narrative Exposure InterventionBehavioural

    The intervention is an ICU-based preventive narrative exposure intervention supported by an ICU visitor book. It includes preoperative education, review of ICU experiences, construction of a timeline, guided narration of stressful ICU-related events, and integration of the experience before discharge. The ICU visitor book includes selected photos, family messages, and key recovery events to help participants better understand and organize their ICU experience.

Study groups in NCT07632131
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
ICU-pNET GroupExperimentalParticipants in this group will receive routine care plus an ICU-based preventive narrative exposure intervention supported by an ICU visitor book.
Receives: Behavioral: ICU-Based Preventive Narrative Exposure Intervention
Control GroupNo interventionParticipants in this group will receive routine care and routine psychological support during the perioperative and ICU recovery period.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms

    Posttraumatic stress symptoms will be assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised. The total score ranges from 0 to 88, with higher scores indicating more severe posttraumatic stress symptoms.

    Measured: 1 month after hospital discharge

Secondary outcomes (7)
  1. Posttraumatic stress symptoms at 3 months after hospital discharge

    Posttraumatic stress symptoms will be assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised. The total score ranges from 0 to 88, with higher scores indicating more severe posttraumatic stress symptoms.

    Measured: 3 months after hospital discharge

  2. ICU-related memories

    ICU-related memories will be assessed using the ICU Memory Tool, a questionnaire designed to assess patients' recall of their ICU stay, including factual memories, memories of feelings, and delusional memories.

    Measured: Within 48 hours after ICU discharge, 1 month and 3 months after hospital discharge.

  3. Anxiety and depression symptoms

    Anxiety and depression symptoms will be assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The HADS includes 14 items and consists of two subscales for anxiety and depression, with each subscale ranging from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate more severe anxiety or depression symptoms.

    Measured: Baseline, within 48 hours after ICU discharge, before hospital discharge, 1 month and 3 months after hospital discharge.

  4. Sleep quality

    Sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The scale includes seven components, with the total score ranging from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality.

    Measured: Baseline, within 48 hours after ICU discharge, before hospital discharge, 1 month and 3 months after hospital discharge.

  5. Health-related quality of life

    Health-related quality of life will be assessed using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. The scale includes 36 items covering eight domains of health status. Scores are transformed to a 0 to 100 scale, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life.

    Measured: 1 month and 3 months after hospital discharge

  6. Patient satisfaction with ICU nursing care

    Patient satisfaction with ICU nursing care will be assessed using the ICU Patient Hospitalization Satisfaction Questionnaire. The questionnaire includes 10 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Higher total scores indicate higher patient satisfaction.

    Measured: 1 week after ICU discharge

  7. Family satisfaction with ICU care

    Family satisfaction with ICU care will be assessed using the Chinese version of the Critical Care Family Satisfaction Survey. The scale includes 27 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with total scores ranging from 27 to 135. Higher scores indicate higher family satisfaction.

    Measured: 1 week after ICU discharge

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted8 Jun 2026
  2. Study start6 Jun 2026
  3. Primary completion28 Feb 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion30 Apr 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the intervention group or the control group.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
100 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07632131
Sponsor's protocol ID
2025-026-02
Acronym
ICU-pNET
Status last verified
Aug 2026
First submitted
3 Jun 2026
Last updated
22 Sep 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Individual participant data will not be shared because the study involves sensitive clinical and psychological information. Data sharing was not included in the approved informed consent documents.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing ICU-Based Preventive Narrative Exposure Intervention in people with Cardiopulmonary Bypass and Intensive Care Units, run by First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University at 1 site in China.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Rongjin Lin (+86-18276524344, Yaling_Qin0202@163.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms (time frame: 1 month after hospital discharge). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Sep 2026.

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