Gentle touch may replace sedatives for ICU patients

This study tests whether a gentle, relaxing touch can reduce the need for anxiety medication in patients who are on breathing machines in the intensive care unit. About 72 adults will be randomly assigned to receive either standard care or standard care plus relaxing touch from the time they start waking up until the breathing tube is removed. The goal is to see if this simple, drug-free approach can help patients feel more comfortable and possibly reduce complications like pulling out the tube too early.