Multidisciplinary management of sedation and analgesia in critical care

Management of sedation and analgesia in critical care medicine is a multidisciplinary process that involves physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers. Optimal management of these common issues includes recognition of the importance of predisposing and causative conditions that contribute to the sensations of pain and discomfort, anxiety, and delirium. Treatment includes pharmacological intervention, correction of predisposing factors, and use of other preventative and nonpharmacological measures. It is increasingly clear that, although necessary for patient comfort, sedative and analgesic medications can have adverse consequences, including side-effects as well as prolonged mechanical ventilation and ICU length of stay. Optimal use of sedative and analgesic medications involves matching unique properties of specific medications with individual patient characteristics. Guidelines that minimize unnecessary variability in practice, prevent excessive medication, and emphasize management based on individual patient characteristics improve the effective utilization of these medications.