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Intensive Care Sedation: The Alpha-2 Agonists

  • Conference paper
Yearbook of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2000

Part of the book series: Yearbook of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine ((YEARBOOK,volume 2000))

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Abstract

Invasive respiratory support on the intensive care unit (ICU) usually requires pharmacological sedation and analgesia to prevent anxiety, provide pain relief, encourage sleep, prevent ventilator dyssynchrony and modulate the physiological responses to stress. It is now increasingly recognized that the quality of this sedation may impact on outcome, and poor sedation techniques may prolong the clinical course and result in serious morbidity [1]. Consequently current sedation regimens are being challenged, depth of sedation monitors developed, and new sedation guidelines formulated [2]. New drugs working at different central nervous system (CNS) sites from traditional agents have been developed, and although these new technologies and treatments bring with them additional costs, the financial implications of suboptimal sedation techniques, in terms of prolonged ICU stay and potential additional morbidity, are well recognized [3].

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Authors
  1. R. M. Venn
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  2. A. Steele
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  3. R. M. Grounds
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Erasme Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Route de Lennik 808, B-1070, Brussels, Belgium

    Jean-Louis Vincent (Head Department of Intensive Care) (Head Department of Intensive Care)

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Venn, R.M., Steele, A., Grounds, R.M. (2000). Intensive Care Sedation: The Alpha-2 Agonists. In: Vincent, JL. (eds) Yearbook of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2000. Yearbook of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, vol 2000. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-13455-9_36

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-13455-9_36

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-66830-5

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