title: Toward Solving the Sedation-Assessment Conundrum: Neurofunction Monitoring.
abstract: The sedation-assessment conundrum is the struggle to balance the need for sedation against the need to awaken the patient and perform a neurologic examination. This article discusses the nuances of the sedation-assessment conundrum as well as approaches to resolve this and reduce the negative impact of abruptly stopping sedative infusions. Both oversedation and undersedation affect critically ill patients. This article discusses methods of assessing sedation and interpreting individualized patient responses to sedation. The use of neurofunction monitors and periods of sedation interruption are discussed within the context of addressing the sedation-assessment conundrum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-8897, USA. Electronic address: DaiWai.Olson@UTSouthwestern.edu.
authors.forename: DaiWai M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-8897, USA.
authors.forename: Kyloni
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Duke University, 2100 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27705, USA.
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Graffagnino
mesh_terms: D016292:Procedural Sedation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing; D016638:Critical Illness; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing; D006801:Humans; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods*; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial
keywords: Cerebral function monitoring; Neurocritical care nursing; Neurofunction monitoring; Sedation assessment