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Published on: July 4, 2018

Managing Pain, Sedation, and Delirium in Intensive Care Unit Patients with Fungal Central Nervous System Infections

Jackeline Iseler1, Rachel Catinella2, Kamah Ellena3

  • 1Nursing Department, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA; Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA.

Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America
|July 24, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Managing pain and sedation in critically ill patients with fungal meningitis is complex. This review covers diagnosis, pathophysiology, and evidence-based strategies, emphasizing nursing care for better outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Critical care medicine
  • Infectious diseases
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Fungal meningitis presents significant challenges in critically ill patients.
  • Pain and sedation management are complicated by the need for neurologic assessment and management of high intracranial pressure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and diagnostic strategies for fungal meningitis.
  • To focus on evidence-based, interdisciplinary approaches to pain and sedation management in these patients.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on fungal meningitis pathophysiology and clinical presentation.
  • Analysis of diagnostic strategies.
  • Exploration of evidence-based pain and sedation management protocols.

Main Results:

  • Fungal meningitis requires careful consideration of multimodal analgesia and delirium prevention.
  • Nurses play a critical role in optimizing patient outcomes.
  • Ethical considerations and long-term recovery planning are essential components of care.

Conclusions:

  • Comprehensive, interdisciplinary care is vital for managing fungal meningitis in critically ill patients.
  • Optimizing pain and sedation management, alongside nursing interventions, improves patient outcomes.
  • Addressing ethical considerations and long-term recovery supports holistic patient care.
Keywords:
Critical careDeliriumFungal meningitisIntracranial pressureNeurocritical carePain managementSedation

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