Analgesia at the department of intensive care

Analgesia at the Department of intensive care can be distributed into three groups, with respect to the patient's respiratory status: 1) analgesia in a patient on controlled ventilation; 2) analgesia in a patient who is being weaned from a respirator; 3) analgesia in a patient breathing spontaneously. In patients of group 1, analgesia, respiratory depression and sedation are achieved with morphine applied parenterally or epidurally. While patients on assisted ventilation (group 2) require good analgesia and sedation, they should remain cooperative; this is achieved with tramadol or ketamine. Spontaneously breathing patients are maintained on tramadol in combination with NSAID. In all patients the dosage needs to be adjusted with respect to the type of pain, age, nutrition status, and previous use of analgesics.