[Sedation of patients with head injuries]

In severe head-injured patients, intravenous sedation is an integrant part of therapy. Its main objectives consist in facilitation of ventilation and other therapeutic procedures but also more specifically in the control of intracranial pressure and epileptic seizures. The ideal sedative drug must fulfil a number of criteria regarding pharmacokinetics, cerebral metabolism and hemodynamics. Opioids, midazolam and propofol are the most commonly used sedative drugs. The therapeutic response and the neurological status of the patients are the guidelines for the choice, the duration and the assessment of sedation.