Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2001; 22(2): 189-198
DOI: 10.1055/s-2001-13832
Copyright © 2001 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA. Tel.: +1(212) 584-4662

Monitoring Sedation, Agitation, Analgesia, Neuromuscular Blockade, and Delirium in Adult ICU Patients

Richard R. Riker, Gilles L. Fraser
  • Department of Critical Care, Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

Publikationsdatum:
31. Dezember 2001 (online)

Preview

ABSTRACT

Preliminary evidence suggests that closely monitoring sedation may have a positive effect on patient outcomes, including reductions in intensive care unit (ICU) stay, duration of mechanical ventilatory support, and number of diagnostic tests requested to assess central nervous system function. In the last few years, subjective instruments to assess agitation and sedation have been developed and tested for reliability and validity, including the Sedation-Agitation Scale and the Motor Activity Assessment Scale. Similar efforts directed to delirium among ICU patients have produced several assessment tools to help clinicians with this difficult area of patient care. Promising techniques for objective assessment of sedation (such as the bispectral index) and strategies to guide neuromuscular blockade with train-of-four (TOF) or clinical exam monitoring have emerged. Future efforts should focus on evaluating the impact of these monitoring techniques on specific outcomes in an effort to improve patient comfort, minimize adverse events, and reduce resource consumption.

REFERENCES