Heart & lung : the journal of critical care
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Comparative Study
The use of analgesics and sedatives in critically ill patients: physicians' orders versus medications administered.
To examine the difference between the prescribed and actually administered dose of analgesic and sedative drugs in critically ill patients. ⋯ Physicians tended to write fairly nonspecific orders that were used by the nursing staff as very broad guidelines. A need exists to educate physicians as to what patients actually receive for sedation and analgesia and at the same time improve the dialogue between nurses and physicians as to what patients actually require.