Weaning Analgosedation in Patients Requiring Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation

2021 ◽  
pp. 088506662110487
Author(s):  
Stephanie Parks Taylor ◽  
John M. Hammer ◽  
Brice T. Taylor

Although research supports the minimization of sedation in mechanically ventilated patients, many patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) receive prolonged opioid and sedative infusions. ICU teams face the challenge of weaning these medications, balancing the risks of sedation with the potential to precipitate withdrawal symptoms. In this article, we use a clinical case to discuss our approach to weaning analgosedation in patients recovering from long-term mechanical ventilation. We believe that a protocolized, multimodal weaning strategy implemented by a multidisciplinary care team is required to reduce potential harm from both under- and over-sedation. At present, there is no strong randomized clinical trial evidence to support a particular weaning strategy in adult ICU patients, but appraisal of the existing literature in adults and children can guide decision-making to enhance the recovery of these patients.

Author(s):  
Jeremy M. Kahn

Successfully weaning patients from prolonged mechanical ventilation requires the varied expertise of a dedicated multidisciplinary care team. Traditionally, this care was provided in acute care hospitals, increasingly these patients are transferred to specialized weaning centres. These may improve patient outcomes by concentrating weaning expertise in a low-acuity environment and implementing protocols for liberation from mechanical ventilation. However, these centres might also worsen patient outcomes because they typically offer less intense nurse and physician staffing compared with traditional intensive care units. Generally, the clinical evidence is mixed, with the best studies suggesting that weaning centres offer similar outcomes as acute care hospitals, but at lower costs. Health systems also might stand to gain from dedicated weaning centres, because they can release intensive care unit beds for more acutely-ill patients. Many gaps remain in our understanding of which patients should be transferred to dedicated weaning centres, the optimal timing of transfer, and the best approach to care for patients in this highly specialized setting.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 745-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Dermot Frengley ◽  
Giorgio R. Sansone ◽  
Robert J. Kaner

Objective: To determine whether burdens of chronic comorbid illnesses can predict the clinical course of prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV)patients in a long-term, acute-care hospital (LTACH). Methods: Retrospective study of 866 consecutive PMV patients whose burdens of chronic comorbid illnesses were quantified using the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS). Based on increasing CIRS scores, 6 groups were formed and compared: group A (≤25; n = 97), group B (26-28; n = 105), group C (29-31; n = 181), group D (32-34; n = 208), group E (35-37; n = 173), and group F (>37; n = 102). Results: As CIRS scores increased from group A to group F, rates of weaning success, home discharges, and LTACH survival declined progressively from 74% to 17%, 48% to 0%, and 79% to 21%, respectively (all P < .001). Negative correlations between the mean score of each CIRS group and correspondent outcomes also supported patients’ group allocation and an accurate prediction of their clinical course (all P < .01). Long-term survival progressively declined from a median survival time of 38.9 months in group A to 3.2 months in group F ( P < .001). Compared to group A, risk of death was 75% greater in group F ( P = .03). Noteworthy, PMV patients with CIRS score <25 showed greater ability to recover and a low likelihood of becoming chronically critically ill. Diagnostic accuracy of CIRS to predict likelihood of weaning success, home discharges, both LTACH and long-term survival was good (area under the curves ≥0.71; all P <.001). Conclusions: The burden of chronic comorbid illnesses was a strong prognostic indicator of the clinical course of PMV patients. Patients with lower CIRS values showed greater ability to recover and were less likely to become chronically critically ill. Thus, CIRS can be used to help guide clinicians caring for PMV patients in transfer decisions to and from postacute care setting.


2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 392-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akito Tsukinaga ◽  
Shunsuke Takaki ◽  
Takahiro Mihara ◽  
Kenta Okamura ◽  
Susumu Isoda ◽  
...  

While low-risk patients who undergo elective surgery can tolerate low hematocrit levels, the benefits of higher hematocrit levels might outweigh the risk of transfusion in high-risk patients. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of perioperative hematocrit levels on mortality in patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) after a cardiovascular surgery. This single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted on 172 patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass or off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting and required PMV for ≥72 hours in the intensive care unit (ICU) from 2008 to 2012 at the Yokohama City University Medical Center in Yokohama, Japan. Patients were classified according to hematocrit levels on ICU admission: high (≥30%) and low (<30%) groups. Of 172 patients, 86 were included to each of the low-hematocrit and high-hematocrit groups, with median hematocrit levels (first to third quartiles) of 27.4% (25.4%–28.7%) and 33.0% (31.3%–35.5%), respectively. The difference in survival rates was significant between the two groups using the log-rank test (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.95, p=0.033). Cox regression analysis revealed that ≥30% increase in hematocrit levels on ICU admission was significantly associated with decreased long-term mortality (HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.80, p=0.0095). Lower hematocrit levels on ICU admission was a risk factor for increased long-term mortality, and higher hematocrit levels might outweigh the risk of transfusion in patients requiring PMV after a cardiovascular surgery.


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