Calming Down about Sedation in Critically Ill Patients

Invasive mechanical ventilation after tracheal intubation is among the most frequently performed procedures in adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Sedation and analgesia are provided at the time of intubation and may be maintained for hours or days. The aim of sedation is to minimize oxygen consumption and facilitate a patient's ability to remain comfortably connected to a ventilator. The current status of the use of sedation for mechanical ventilation is most easily understood by reviewing the sequence of developments in the field. Over the past two decades, it has been recognized that prolonged and deep sedation . . .