Critical care clinics
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Circadian rhythms underlie nearly all physiologic functions and organ systems. Circadian abnormalities have attendant implications for critical illness survival. The intensive care unit (ICU) environment, with its lack of diurnal variation in sound, light, and social cues, may precipitate circadian dysrhythmias. ⋯ Critical illness itself, from sepsis to severe brain injury, can compromise circadian health. Use of daylight, time-restricted feedings, and administration of melatonin can possibly restore circadian rhythm. However, further study is necessary to assess the effectiveness of these interventions and their impact on ICU outcomes.
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The intensive care unit (ICU) environment is not propitious for restoring sleep and many studies have reported that critically ill patients have severe sleep disruptions. However, sleep alterations in critically ill patients are specific and differ significantly from those in ambulatory patients. Polysomnographic patterns of normal sleep are frequently lacking in critically ill patients and the neurobiology of sleep is important to consider regarding alternative methods to quantify sleep in the ICU. This article discusses elements of sleep neurobiology affecting the specificity of sleep patterns and sleep alterations in patients admitted to the ICU.
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Critical care clinics · Jul 2015
ReviewSeizures in Sleep: Clinical Spectrum, Diagnostic Features, and Management.
Sleep is disrupted in most patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit and the disturbances are even more profound in patients impacted by epilepsy. Nocturnal seizures must be differentiated from other common nocturnal events, such as delirium, parasomnias, and sedation. Many antiepileptic drugs produce undesirable side effects on sleep architecture that may further predispose patients to insomnia during the night and excessive sedation and hypersomnolence during the day. Failure to recognize, correctly diagnose, and adequately manage these disturbances may lead to more prolonged hospitalization, increased risk for nosocomial infections, poorer health-related qualify of life, and greater health care financial burden.
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Sleep-disordered breathing in the perioperative setting poses an increase in both perceived and demonstrated challenges for health care providers. Some of these challenges relate to identifying patients at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea prior to surgery. Other management challenges include identifying the proper monitoring techniques, using the correct mix of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic strategies to manage these patients, and identifying the proper and safe disposition strategy after surgery. Additional populations, such as pediatrics and the morbidly obese, are also highlighted, which may help address questions in populations that are frequently managed in the critical care setting postoperatively.