Critical care clinics
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Critical care clinics · Oct 2001
ReviewCommentary. Balancing sedation and analgesia in the critically ill.
The authors have presented a template for a systematic approach to comforting critically ill patients that can be modified to suit institutional preferences. In this algorithm, the cause of patient discomfort is sought with the priority given to pain and then to anxiety. Special attention is directed to the identification of correctable causes of pain and anxiety with application of nonpharmacologic techniques or medications to control patient discomfort. ⋯ Doing so can promote cost effectiveness, reduce side effects caused by drugs, and decrease morbidity and ICU stay. Any treatment protocol or algorithm is simply a guide to therapy and cannot address every clinical situation. The importance of individualized care and physician or care team judgment must be emphasized.
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Critical care clinics · Oct 2001
ReviewUsing protocols to improve the outcomes of mechanically ventilated patients. Focus on weaning and sedation.
The use of nonphysician-directed protocols and guidelines for the management of sedation and weaning has been shown to reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation for patients with acute respiratory failure when compared with conventional physician-directed practices. Practitioners in ICUs frequently are needed to perform multiple tasks and to evaluate numerous elements of clinical information in the care of the critically ill. In this complex environment, protocols and guidelines are one strategy for ensuring that specific tasks are carried out in a timely manner. ⋯ The results of studies evaluating the use of protocols and guidelines have important implications for general critical care practices, because many ICUs do not have physicians who are constantly at the patient's bedside. The need for effective communication from the bedside caregiver (e.g., nurse, respiratory therapist, pharmacist, technician) to the physician, so that treatment orders can be changed appropriately, usually results in some delay in the implementation of treatment changes. Protocols are one method for potentially reducing those delays and ensuring that medical care is administered in a more standardized and efficient manner.
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Intravenous sedation and analgesia are cornerstones of the pharmacologic management of the critically ill, mechanically ventilated adult patient. No conclusive evidence exists to support any single optimal sedative or analgesic regimen in this heterogeneous population. The role of cost effectiveness in the process of selecting a regimen is explored with a review of the literature, followed by proposed cost-effectiveness models and recommendations for the clinical practitioner.
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The effects of BZ drugs result from interaction at the GABAA receptor within the CNS, producing anxiolysis, hypnosis, and amnesia in a dose-dependent fashion. These sedative effects are best titrated to reproducible clinical endpoints, using scoring systems such as the Ramsay scale. All BZs exhibit similar pharmacologic effects, but the important differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics should be recognized to use these drugs safely and effectively within the ICU. ⋯ Flumazenil, a specific BZ antagonist, can be used for diagnostic or therapeutic reversal of BZ agonists when appropriate. Most experienced intensivists recommend an individualized approach to sedation and titration of anxiolysis to maximize efficacy, minimize side effects, and optimize cost effectiveness in the ICU. New CNS monitors of the EEG, such as the BIS or entropy EEG monitors, may refine titration algorithms further in the near future.
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Critical care clinics · Oct 2001
ReviewNeuromuscular-blocking drugs. Use and misuse in the intensive care unit.
The use of NMB agents for more than 24 to 48 hours in critically ill patients is associated with many potential complications. Neuromuscular-blocking drugs should be used only when their use is essential for optimal patient care. The indications for neuromuscular blockade must be defined clearly, and patients should be evaluated during treatment for the need for continued muscle relaxation. ⋯ Clinicians should be aware of risk factors that may predispose certain patients to neuromuscular complications, including sepsis and the use of high-dose steroids. Neuromuscular-blocking agents should be avoided in these patients if possible. Although not proved, early recognition and treatment of iatrogenic neuromuscular complications may improve patient outcome.