A prospective evaluation of empiric versus protocol-based sedation and analgesia.
OBJECTIVE
To compare empiric and protocol-based therapies of sedation and analgesia in terms of pharmacologic cost, effects on mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and quality of sedation and analgesia.


METHODS
Prospective study.


METHODS
A 24-bed medical-surgical-neurologic ICU.


METHODS
Seventy-two patients evaluated during empiric therapy and 86 during protocol-based therapy.


METHODS
Assessment of data collected for 4 months before and 5 months after an evidence-based sedation and analgesia protocol was implemented.


RESULTS
Protocol adherence rate was 83.7%. The hourly cost (Canadian dollars) of sedation was less with protocol-based therapy ($5.68 +/- 4.27 vs $7.69 +/- 5.29, p<0.01) likely due to increased lorazepam use. Pharmacologic cost savings may be negated since sedation duration tended to be longer (122.7 +/- 142.8 vs 88.0 +/- 94.8 hrs, p<0.1) and extubation may have been delayed (61.6 +/- 97.4 vs 39.1 +/- 54.7 hrs, p=0.13) with protocol use. Duration of ICU stay after sedation was discontinued was not significantly different before and after protocol implementation. With the protocol, however, the percentage of modified Ramsay sedation scores representing discomfort decreased from 22.4 to 11% (p<0.001) and the percentage at a score of 4 increased from 17.2% to 29.6% (p<0.01). The percentage of modified visual analog measurements representing pain decreased from 9.6 to 5.9% (p<0.05) with the protocol. When data were stratified according to duration of sedation, the benefits and delayed extubation associated with protocol-based therapy were limited to patients requiring long-term sedation.


CONCLUSIONS
Compliance with this protocol reduced drug costs and enhanced the quality of sedation and analgesia for patients requiring long-term sedation. Protocol-based therapy with lorazepam may have delayed extubation but did not delay ICU discharge.
MacLaren
R
R
School of Pharmacy, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262, USA.
Plamondon
J M
JM
Ramsay
K B
KB
Rocker
G M
GM
Patrick
W D
WD
Hall
R I
RI
D000698:Analgesia; D017046:Cost Savings; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D013997:Time Factors
D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives