title: Are we sedating more than just the brain?
abstract: Heavy sedation in the ICU is associated with coma, delirium, and prolonged stays, but links between sedatives and non-brain organ failure have rarely been described. In a post hoc analysis, Strøm and colleagues explored associations between sedation and acute kidney injury among ICU patients randomly assigned to one of two sedation strategies. The 'no sedation' protocol was associated with less kidney injury, but methodologic limitations preclude firm conclusions regarding mechanisms underlying this association. This hypothesis-generating study warns that sedation may harm organs other than the brain during critical illness, a possibility that warrants careful study in the future.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 1215, 21st Avenue South, Medical Center East, 6th Floor, Suite 6000, Nashville, TN 37232-8300, USA. nathan.e.brummel@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: Nathan E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Brummel
authors.forename: Timothy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Girard
mesh_terms: D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000139:chemically induced*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives