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Related Concept Videos

Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview01:23

Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview

Sedatives are drugs that alleviate anxiety, while hypnotics induce sleep. Both classes of medication suppress neuronal activity, leading to a calming effect for sedatives and facilitating sleep for hypnotics.
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
Stages of General Anesthesia01:22

Stages of General Anesthesia

Various sedation levels offer significant advantages in facilitating procedural interventions for patients undergoing medical or invasive surgical procedures. These levels span from anxiolysis to general anesthesia, providing a spectrum of sedative effects to cater to specific patient needs. Anxiolysis reduces anxiety and is achieved through minimal sedation, enabling patients to remain awake and responsive while feeling more at ease during the procedure. This level can benefit minor...
Continuing Care01:25

Continuing Care

Continuing care describes the variety of health, personal, and social services provided over a prolonged period. The need for continuing care is increasing because people are living longer. Many people do not have families or others to care for them. Continuing care is mainly for patients who are disabled, functionally dependent, or suffering from a terminal disease. It is available within institutional settings or in homes. Examples include nursing centers or facilities, assisted living,...
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Barbiturates01:20

Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Barbiturates

Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a drug class that acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to alleviate anxiety, promote relaxation and induce sleep.These drugs function by amplifying the actions of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), resulting in reduced neuronal activity. Barbiturates, a subset of sedatives and hypnotics first synthesized in the late 1800s, are categorized into ultra-short, short, intermediate, and long-acting groups based on their duration of effect. A key...
Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Adverse Effects01:21

Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Adverse Effects

Skeletal muscle relaxants are widely used for muscle paralysis and relieving pain following any muscle injury or stiffness. However, depending on the drug type, they can have adverse effects that range from mild to severe. Usually, nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockers have minimal side effects. For example, drugs like d-tubocurarine, cisatracurium, and rocuronium cause hypotension, whereas drugs like baclofen, when stopped abruptly, can lead to the recurrence of spastic conditions.
Unlike...
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents01:17

Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents

Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a wide range of substances, each with its unique mechanism of action, uses, and potential adverse effects.
Melatonin congeners like ramelteon (Rozerem) and tasimelteon (Hetlioz) selectively bind to melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) and thus mimic the actions of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Tasimelteon is primarily used for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, common in blind patients. They are also used to treat conditions like insomnia...

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Related Experiment Videos

Does palliative sedation always relieve symptoms?

Mellar P Davis1

  • 1Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. davism6@ccf.org

Journal of Palliative Medicine
|August 25, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Palliative sedation aims to relieve refractory symptoms, but evidence for its effectiveness is limited. Using sedation scales during palliative sedation can help minimize treatment failures and improve patient outcomes.

Related Experiment Videos

Area of Science:

  • Palliative Care
  • Anesthesiology
  • Symptom Management

Background:

  • Palliative sedation is a common intervention for refractory symptoms in end-of-life care.
  • Current guidelines suggest mild sedation and minimal medication use.
  • Objective evidence supporting symptom relief through sedation is scarce due to assessment limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review guidelines for palliative sedation.
  • To highlight the challenges in assessing sedation effectiveness.
  • To emphasize the importance of monitoring patient awareness and sedation levels.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of guidelines for palliative sedation.
  • Analysis of reported rates of patient awareness during anesthesia and conscious sedation.
  • Evaluation of treatment failure rates in palliative sedation.

Main Results:

  • Seventeen percent of individuals undergoing palliative sedation do not achieve symptom relief.
  • Patient awareness during general anesthesia occurs in 2-3% of cases, often unrecognized by anesthesiologists.
  • Awareness during conscious sedation can affect up to 17% of patients.

Conclusions:

  • There is a significant failure rate in achieving symptom relief with palliative sedation.
  • Patient awareness during sedation can lead to severe psychological distress.
  • Routine utilization of sedation scales is recommended to improve the efficacy of palliative sedation and minimize treatment failure.