Sedation in the ICU

Dexmedetomidine sedation in ICU

Dexmedetomidine (DEX), a highly selective α(2)-adrenergic receptor agonist, is the newest agent introduced for sedation in intensive care unit (ICU). The sedation strategy for critically ill patients has stressed light sedation with daily awakening and assessment for neurologic, cognitive, and respiratory functions, since Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) guidelines were presented in 200...

Sedation in the ICU: Shifts and Strategies

Sedation and neuromuscular blockade in the ICU.

A the key innovations of critical care medicine is treatment directed by continuously measured objective physiologic data. A prime example is the dosing of vasopressors using continuous measurements of systemic arterial pressure acquired from an indwelling arterial catheter. Similarly, the settings of mechanical ventilators are based on pressure and volume measurements of airway gases and arter...

Sedation and Analgesia Management in the Icu

www.ccmjournal.org September 2013 • Volume 41 • Number 9 (Suppl.) Abstract: The management of pain, agitation, and delirium in critically ill patients can be complicated by multiple factors. Decisions to administer opioids, sedatives, and antipsychotic medications are frequently driven by a desire to facilitate patients’ comfort and their tolerance of invasive procedures or other interventions ...

Delirium and sedation in the ICU.

Delirium is defined by a fluctuating level of attentiveness and has been associated with increased ICU mortality and poor cognitive outcomes in both general ICU and neurocritical care populations. Sedation use in the ICU can contribute to delirium. Limiting ICU sedation allows for the diagnosis of underlying acute neurological insults associated with delirium and leads to shorter mechanical ven...