OBJECTIVE: To determine what events are perceived as most stressful to patients in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional survey. PATIENTS: One hundred twenty-seven patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) at 48 hours after their transfer from the SICU. OUTCOME MEASURE: Stressful events as perceived by patients while in the SICU determined by 25 specific items on a questionnaire rated on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (no distress) to 4 (extremely distressful). RESULTS: Two stressors, being intubated and not being able to talk, were significantly more stressful, by Newman-Keuls multiple range test, than all the other stressors. The mean stressfulness score for all other stressors was between no distress and mild distress. CONCLUSION: Overall stress associated with specific events during a short stay in the SICU was minimal. Intubation and inability to communicate were the most stressful experiences.