Published online 10/2024 & in print 02/2025 (Open Access)

Covid-19 shone a light on the traumatic experiences of ICU patients during admission and beyond. The minimisation of psychological trauma during admission plays a large role in improving the quality of life for ICU survivors. One way to address this is by optimising the patient’s sensory environment. Sensory disturbance can contribute to negative patient experience and outcomes. Healthcare professionals should seek to mitigate this from the outset and not let it be clouded by the severity of illness. Deprivation of taste when nil by mouth and taste disturbance during disease and recovery is overlooked in the optimisation of the ICU environment. Associated distress and discomfort is significant. Taste deprivation may be underestimated by healthcare professionals and underreported by patients, making it a challenging sensory modality to address. However, mitigating taste deprivation should not be viewed as insurmountable, including in those with dysphagia. Creative solutions to provide a therapeutic taste experience for patients with, or recovering from, critical illness should be trialled. Dissolvable oral taste strips provide a unique opportunity to safely deliver taste to patients with a restricted oral intake. The outcomes from interventions have huge potential if proven safe, spanning patient experience and rehabilitation. Keywords: Taste, Critical illness, intensive care, dysgeusia, nil by mouth (NBM), sensory disturbance 

Accepted for publication in ICCN 12/2024

Submitted to Journal of Critical and Intensive Care 12/2024