Johns Hopkins Publishes Study Showing Dogs Help ICU Patients Recover

Dr. Dan Kendall stands out for his proficiency in performing fluoroscopic-guided procedures, practicing techniques such as epidural nerve blocks and radiofrequency ablation. Currently treating patients at National Spine and Pain Centers in McLean, Virginia, Dr. Dan Kendall is a former fellow at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. 

Johns Hopkins health professionals have established a program that takes a unique approach to improving patient outcomes. Taking advantage of the special type of healing only a canine can provide, the hospital team brings specially trained dogs into intensive care units (ICUs) to help alleviate patients' physical and emotional pain. 

While dogs have been used for therapy in other medical settings, bringing them in to visit critically ill patients is a first. The human-canine bond helps overcome the impersonality of the ICU and the coldness of the equipment, such as ventilators and feeding tubes. According to an article in the February 2018 issue of Critical Care, Johns Hopkins rehabilitation and ICU researchers reported that dogs helped their ICU patients become active sooner, as well as motivating them to be more engaged in their recovery efforts.