Medicina intensiva
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One of the main factors to keep in mind for drug selection for the sedation of a critical patient is its foreseen duration. We have denominated by consent, short sedation that whose duration is less than 72 h. ⋯ In this chapter the pharmacology and the comparative studies of the drugs more used for this aim are revised and the clinical recommendations are settle down. Some recommendations for specific situations are also settle down and a role is assigned to less habitual drugs such as ketamine.
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Delirium, the acute confusional syndrome, is a common although infradiagnosed problem in the critically ill patient, especially the hypoactive subtype. Risk factors for delirium are previous cognitive disturbances, some comorbidities, ambiental factors and the acute organic alterations of critical illness. Delirium is associated to an increase in short and long term mortality, prolongation of mechanical ventilation, increased Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay, and cognitive impairment after hospital discharge. ⋯ Halloperidol is the first line therapy of delirium in the critically ill patient, while experience with atypical neuroleptics and other drugs is limited, precluding to do recommendations about its use. Neuroleptic drugs can produce severe side effects and need careful dosage and monitoring. When agitation is important, can be necessary the simultaneous use of benzodiazepines or propofol, and some times, the temporal and protocolized application of physical restraints.
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The airway management is one of the principal skills that a physician needs to ensure optimal ventilation and oxygenation. In this guideline, Sedation and Analgesia Working Group of SEMICYUC describes rapid sequence intubation (RSI) and induction drugs and neuromuscular blocking agents. RSI is the best procedure to ensure optimal airway management in the majority of critically ill patients. ⋯ A proper position of the patient is essential to establish an adequate airway management. Direct visualization of glottis and endotracheal tube pass through vocal cords is the best way to confirm the correct position of it. There are different devices to confirm correct position of the endotracheal tube.
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The use of neuromuscular blockers (NMB) is a frequent practice in Intensive Care Units. However most of the experience with the use of these agents come from the operating room used to deal with patients with different characteristics from those admitted in the ICU. ⋯ Those NMB with organ-independent metabolism as well as those with rapid onset of action are the preferred ones for the use in the critically ill patient substituting older depolarizing agents and those whose metabolism is dependent on the liver and/or kidney, organs frequently impaired in the critically ill patients. Neuromuscular blocking in the critically ill patient should be done according to protocols and monitor its effects in order to avoid complications related to its prolonged use.
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Once analgesia is assured, sedation has special relevance in the critically ill ventilated patient's global treatment. Sedatives should be adjusted to individual needs, by administering minimal effective doses to achieve the AIM. This aim must be clearly identified, defined at the beginning of the treatment and revised on a regular basis, ideally at least once per shift. ⋯ This Spanish Society of Critical Care Medicine's Analgesia and Sedation Work Group recommends the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale, due to its interrelationship with the Confusion Assessment Method Scale (CAM-ICU), for sedation monitoring in patients under light sedation while it recommends bispectral index sedation monitoring in patients under deep sedation. In the latter case, maintaining values under 40 on the bispectral index doesn't produce any benefits except in patients who require a maximum decrease in neuronal metabolism. To avoid recall phenomena, bispectral monitoring is highly advisable in patients treated with neuromuscular blockers.