Medications for analgesia and sedation in the intensive care unit: an overview.
Critically ill patients are often treated with continuous intravenous infusions of sedative drugs. However, this is associated with high risk for over-sedation, which can result in prolonged stay in the intensive care unit. Recently introduced protocols (daily interruption and analgosedation) have proven to reduce the length of intensive care unit stay. To introduce these protocols, new agents or new regimens with the well established agents may be required. In this article we briefly discuss these new regimens and new agents, focusing on the short-acting substances.
Gommers
Diederik
D
Department of Intensive Care, Erasmus MC, Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands. d.gommers@erasmusmc.nl
Bakker
Jan
J
D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016292:Procedural Sedation / Q000379:methods*; D016638:Critical Illness; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D009294:Narcotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012121:Respiration, Artificial
D000700:Analgesics; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D009294:Narcotics