Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal Iran Red Crescent Med J 2011; 13(9):684-686 ©Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal LETTER TO THE EDITOR Visiting Hour Policies in Intensive Care Units,

Admission to intensive care unit (ICU) is potentially a stressful experience for both the patients and their families. In addition to pain and severity of the criti-cal diseases, sleeplessness, immobility and over-whelming noises from ICU equipments, anxiety from overhearing the stranger and unfamiliar conversations of the staff and visitors about the patients ’ conditions, psychologically affect the ICU patient.1-3 The critical condition of the patients could be a source of stress for the respective families as well, so that sometimes it is referred to as in-family crisis.4,5 Nowadays, the role of families in the critical patients ’ recovery is considered very important, and professionals focus on family and patient-centered systems. Therefore, it has long been suggested that open and flexible visitin