Covidien, announces a new campaign to help medical professionals become more aware of oversedation and its effect on patient outcomes.
As many as 71 percent of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) show signs of agitation at least once during their hospitalization. To ease distress, medical professionals may sedate patients, particularly those on mechanical ventilation, to make them more comfortable during breath support and other interventions. Unfortunately, oversedation also can extend the length of time the patient is on a ventilator as well as increase the risk of complications.
In many cases, a stay in the ICU can be a very unsettling and uncomfortable experience. Patients who are on ventilators cannot easily communicate, are often hooked up to machines that provide life-sustaining support and are dependent on clinicians to attend to their care and comfort.
These factors contribute to the large number of ICU patients who show signs of agitation. Out of compassion, physicians often prescribe sedation to calm these patients. However, a growing body of research has confirmed a strong link between oversedation and poor patient outcomes.
“We are now understanding that there are consequences from prolonged oversedation, including things like more delirium, more long-term cognitive impairments and post-traumatic stress disorder,” said Richard Riker, M.D., director, Critical Care Research Maine Medical Center. “The long-term outcomes are so much better if we can avoid deep sedation for our patients.”
Complications from oversedation can also lead to the overtaxing of ICU personnel and equipment. Better sedation management will help ensure that ICU resources are more readily available for incoming critical patients. By appropriately managing patient discomfort and carefully considering when and why sedation is used, unnecessary sedation may be avoided.
Covidien provides clinicians access to the tools they need, including clinical education, research and advanced technology, to help manage sedation in patients more effectively. An online sedation management resource site houses education and training to help clinicians manage sedation for ventilated patients.
“Covidien is dedicated to helping clinicians provide the best care possible for their patients,” said Jim Willett, vice president and general manager of Respiratory Solutions, Covidien. “We work with hospitals day in and day out to improve the effectiveness of ventilator equipment. If we can reduce unnecessary sedation in the ICU, we may help clinicians dramatically improve patient outcomes in the long run.”
More information about managing sedation in the ICU can be found at www.covidien.com/ICUSedation.
