Clonidine has sedative and analgesic properties. Randomized studies examining these properties in mechanically ventilated ICU patients are scarce. This study was designed to assess the impact of clonidine on sedative agent use in mechanically ventilated patients.In a prospective, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study in a general ICU of a university medical center in Tehran, Iran, ...

Methods This prospective observational study was conducted in open ICU, urban hospital(Hiroshima, Japan) between February 2013 and March 2015. Adult patients intubated within 24 hours from ICU admission and underwent light sedation with dexmedetomidine was eligible. Exclusion criteria were: age < 18, stroke, cardiopulmonary arrest, neurosurgery, seizure, traumatic brain injury. We compared alte...

Introduction Patients under mechanical ventilation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) require sedation in order to facilitate ventilator and endotracheal tube tolerance. The sedative agent that must be used should not interfere with early extubation of patients. Midazolam is a benzodiazepine, a common sedative agent used in the ICU, while dexmetomidine is an alpha 2 adrenergic receptor agonist, t...

Introduction Most patients survive an Intensive Care Unit stay, but due to the illness itself or sedation they might have impaired cognition of the ICU stay. Thus it is difficult to explore these patients’ experiences of quality of care and treatment. Their closest relatives, however, often visit the patient and spend time bedside. A study has shown correspondence between patients’ and relative...

Three studies explore the case for tracheostomies in the intensive care unit (ICU). Tracheostomies appear to have no effect on ICU survival, according to a prospective observational cohort study that used a propensity score. In obese patients, surgical tracheostomies were associated with an increased risk of complications, although these patients appeared to have a lower mortality in the ICU. A...

Delirium occurs commonly in both general medical and intensive care unit (ICU) patients, with prevalence rates of up to 80% reported. A common expression of acute brain dysfunction, it is related to wide-ranging untoward outcomes such as prolonged hospitalization, increased costs, higher mortality, and, potentially long-term cognitive impairment. Different risk factors are associated with delir...

As the mortality from critical illness has improved in recent years, there has been increasing focus on patient outcomes after hospital discharge. Neuromuscular weakness acquired in the intensive care unit (ICU) is common, persistent, and often severe. Immobility due to prolonged bed rest in the ICU may play an important role in the development of ICU-acquired weakness. Studies in other patient...

OBJECTIVE Evaluate recent clinical studies involving the use of dexmedetomidine (DEX) infusion for the treatment of delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS A literature search was conducted to identify peer-reviewed articles in MEDLINE (1966-June 2016) using the terms sedation, analgesic, dexmedetomidine, delirium, and critically ill adult patients. RESULTS Two studies in the ICU...

INTRODUCTION Sepsis is associated with increased mortality, delirium and long-term cognitive impairment in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities occurring at the acute stage of sepsis may correlate with severity of brain dysfunction. Predictive value of early standard EEG abnormalities for mortality in ICU septic patients remains to be assessed. METHODS ...