Enteral vs. intravenous ICU sedation management: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A relevant innovation about sedation of long-term Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients is the 'conscious target': patients should be awake even during the critical phases of illness. Enteral sedative administration is nowadays unusual, even though the gastrointestinal tract works soon after ICU admission. The enteral approach cannot produce deep sedation; however, it is as adequate as the intravenous one, if the target is to keep patients awake and adapted to the environment, and has fewer side effects and lower costs.

Methods/design

A randomized, controlled, multicenter, single-blind trial comparing enteral and intravenous sedative treatments has been done in 12 Italian ICUs. The main objective was to achieve and maintain the desired sedation level: observed RASS =

SUBMITTER: Mistraletti G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3651718 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature