title: Application of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Pain, Agitation, and Delirium.
abstract: Critically ill patients experience several severe, distressing, and often life-altering symptoms during their intensive care unit stay. A clinical practice guideline released by the American College of Critical Care Medicine provides a template for improving the care and outcomes of the critically ill through evidence-based pain, agitation, and delirium assessment, prevention, and management. Key strategies include the use of valid and reliable assessment tools, setting a desired sedation level target, a focus on light sedation, choosing appropriate sedative medications, the use of nonpharmacologic symptom management strategies, and engaging and empowering patients and their family to play an active role in their intensive care unit care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing and Patient Care Services, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, 600 Highland Avenue, C7/305, Madison, WI 53792, USA.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krupp
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence in Critical and Complex Care, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, 368 Newton Hall, 1585 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. Electronic address: balas.17@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Michele C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Balas
mesh_terms: D016638:Critical Illness; D003693:Delirium / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D059408:Pain Management; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives
keywords: Agitation; Delirium; Guidelines; Intensive care unit; Pain; Sedation