Being on a ventilator can be a disturbing experience, causing many patients to show signs of agitation.([FOOTNOTE=Siegel MD. Management of agitation in the intensive care unit. Clin Chest Med.2003;24(4):713-725.],[ANCHOR=],[LINK=]) When that’s the case, clinicians often turn to sedation.1 But depending on the cause, sedation might not be necessary.
Watch leading practitioner’s discuss why patients are over sedated.
A key to avoiding unnecessary sedation and its clinical consequences is to understand the causes of agitation and the published guidelines for responding to each.1
This is an educational resource with information and resources help improve sedation management in the ICU.