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Commentary

Narcotic-based sedation regimens for critically ill mechanically ventilated patients

Pratik Pandharipande1* and E Wesley Ely2

Author Affiliations

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology/Division of Critical Care, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

2 Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Center for Health Services Research and Division of Allergy/Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the VA Tennessee Valley Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Nashville, Tennessee, USA

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Critical Care 2005, 9:247-248 doi:10.1186/cc3523

Published: 18 April 2005

Abstract

Sedatives and analgesics are routinely used in the intensive care unit to relieve pain and anxiety. These agents have numerous side effects and may contribute to poor outcomes such as increased length of mechanical ventilation, longer ICU stays and acute and long-term cognitive dysfunction. Modifying sedation paradigms utilizing either narcotic-based regimens with remifentanil or fentanyl, or by using α2 agonists such as dexmedetomidine may help in improving these outcomes in critically ill patients.