INTRODUCTION Sedation protocols are needed for neurointensive patients. The aim of this pilot study was to describe sedation practice at a neurointensive care unit and to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a new sedation protocol. The primary outcomes were a shift from sedation-based to analgesia-based sedation and improved pain management. The secondary outcomes were a reduction in unplann...

BACKGROUND Managing anxiety, pain and delirium in critically ill patients is an ongoing challenge. Differences in physician practice, variations of pharmacological agents, as well as concentrations and units can increase the risk of medication error Personal preferences, subjectivity, and nurses' level of expertise are variables when titrating analgesic and sedation infusions. PURPOSE The pur...

BACKGROUND Inhaled sedation is efficient and easily controllable; in low concentrations it causes minimal changes in the patient and very little interference with hemodynamics. Awakening after inhaled sedation is quick and predictable. The major reason inhaled sedation has not become widely used in intensive care is that no commercially available administration device has been available. METH...

Sedation and analgesia are frequently used in the critical care unit. Pain has already been described as the “fifth vital sign,” and most people describe experiencing pain as a source of great stress during an intensive care unit (ICU) stay.(1,2) Sedation can be used to ease discomfort, to facilitate adaptation to mechanical ventilation, and to prevent self-harm.(3) However, despite its humanit...

INTRODUCTION Sedation protocols have demonstrated effectiveness in improving ICU sedation practices. However, the importance of multifaceted multidisciplinary approach on the success of such protocols has not been fully examined. METHODS The study was conducted in a tertiary care medical-surgical ICU as a prospective, 4-pronged, observational study describing a quality improvement initiative ...

AIMS Assess the effects of protocol-directed sedation management on the duration of mechanical ventilation and other relevant patient outcomes in mechanically ventilated intensive care unit patients. BACKGROUND Sedation is a core component of critical care. Sub-optimal sedation management incorporates both under- and over-sedation and has been linked to poorer patient outcomes. DESIGN Cochr...

Sedation is often necessary to optimize care for critically ill children requiring mechanical ventilation. If too light or too deep, however, sedation can cause significant adverse reactions, making it important to assess the degree of sedation and maintain its optimal level. We evaluated the efficacy of the COMFORT scale in assessing optimal sedation in critically ill children requiring mechan...

Three adult and two subadult greater one-horned rhinoceroses (Rhinoceros unicornis) were sedated a total of nine times using two different intramuscular sedative combinations in order to compare the effectiveness of these combinations in inducing consistent standing sedation in this species. The sedation protocols compared were butorphanol tartrate (50-60 mg) and detomidine hydrochloride (20-30...

INTRODUCTION Deep sedation in critically ill patients is associated with a longer duration of mechanical ventilation and a prolonged length of stay in the intensive care unit. Several protocols have been used to improve these outcomes. We implement and evaluate an analgesia-based, goal-directed, nurse-driven sedation protocol used to treat critically ill patients who receive mechanical ventilat...