Sedatives, analgesics, and antipsychotics in tracheostomised intensive care unit patients – Is less more?

Sedation and anaesthesia are used universally to facilitate mechanical ventilation – with larger cumulative doses being used in those with prolonged ventilation. Transitioning from an endotracheal to a tracheostomy tube enables the depth of sedation to be reduced. Early use of speaking valves with tracheostomised patients has become routine in some intensive care units (ICUs). T he return of verbal communication has been observed to improve ease of patient care and increase patient and family engagement, with a perceived reduction in patient agitation.
Source: Australian Critical Care - Category: Nursing Authors: Tags: Research paper Source Type: research