Biomaterial Database

Stimulus deprivation in windowless rooms. 1977

P J Keep

Enough evidence now exists to suggest that windowless environments in hospitals increase the risk to the patient for a number of reasons. These include a direct influence on his own physiological and psychological state, a lowering of the standard of care by an effect on hospital staff, and increased vulnerability to physical hazards. The psychological ill effects of the intensive therapy unit (ITU) environment on its occupants are well recognised. The aggravation of these effects by the construction of any further windowless units can no longer be regarded as acceptable.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007362	Intensive Care Units	Hospital units providing continuous surveillance and care to acutely ill patients.	ICU Intensive Care Units,Intensive Care Unit,Unit, Intensive Care
D008029	Lighting	The illumination of an environment and the arrangement of lights to achieve an effect or optimal visibility. Its application is in domestic or in public settings and in medical and non-medical environments.	Illumination
D009873	Operating Rooms	Facilities equipped for performing surgery.	Operating Room,Room, Operating,Rooms, Operating
D004739	England	A part of Great Britain within the United Kingdom.
D004779	Environment Design	The structuring of the environment to permit or promote specific patterns of behavior.	Design, Environment,Healthy Places,Designs, Environment,Environment Designs,Healthy Place
D006749	Hospital Design and Construction	The architecture, functional design, and construction of hospitals.	Hospital Renovation,Hospital Renovations,Hospital Construction,Hospital Construction and Design,Hospital Design,Hospital Designs,Construction, Hospital,Design, Hospital,Designs, Hospital,Renovation, Hospital,Renovations, Hospital
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012683	Sensory Deprivation	The absence or restriction of the usual external sensory stimuli to which the individual responds.	Deprivation, Sensory,Deprivations, Sensory,Sensory Deprivations
D013472	Sunlight	Irradiation directly from the sun.	Sunshine