Sedation options for intubated intensive care unit patients.
A common requirement for intubated patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) is sedation and pain management to facilitate patient safety and timely, atraumatic healing. The Society of Critical Care Medicine guidelines for management of pain, sedation, and delirium in adult ICU patients provide assessment scales for pain, sedation, and delirium; medications for sedation and pain management, and protocols for weaning sedation, are discussed. Proficient assessment skills, pharmacologic knowledge of medications administered to provide sedation, and an understanding of the importance of nonpharmacologic interventions can help the registered nurse provide patient advocacy, safety, and improved outcomes.
Department of Anesthesiology, Yale-New Haven Hospital, 20 York Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA. Electronic address: jlacoske@yahoo.com.
Jennifer
J
Lacoske
D000698:Analgesia; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D064648:Critical Care Nursing; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D059408:Pain Management / Q000451:nursing*
D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives
Agitation; Analgesia; Critical care sedation; Delirium; Intensive care; Protocols; Sedation infusions