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Sedation and Psychopharmacology in Critical Care

Not Applicable
Terminated
Conditions
Sedation
Mechanical Ventilation
Depression
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Quality of Life
Registration Number
NCT00205517
Lead Sponsor
Virginia Commonwealth University
Brief Summary

Certain methods of sedation increase the duration of respiratory failure. Two strategies, a nursing- implemented sedation algorithm and daily interruption of sedatives, decrease length of mechanical ventilation compared to "conventional care" but have not been compared to each other. The reason certain methods of sedation lead to prolonged respiratory failure is unknown but may be related to altered pharmacokinetics and dynamics that are unique to critically ill patients. Critically ill patients receive substantial doses of sedatives over prolonged periods. The impact of these management strategies on short- and long-term psychiatric complications are unknown. The study seeks to test the central hypothesis that sedation practices impact strongly on outcome of respiratory failure and psychiatric complications. The three specific aims are (1) to compare two sedation strategies (protocol directed sedation and daily interruption of sedatives), (2) to examine the prevalence of psychiatric complications, and (3) to compute the pharmacokinetics of commonly used sedatives and narcotics.

These aims will be achieved by enrolling critically ill patients in a prospective randomized trial comparing the above mentioned sedation strategies, and assessing sedation level as well as delirium throughout the duration of respiratory failure. Sedative plasma levels will be measured, and pharmacokinetics computed. Psychiatric morbidity will be assessed by administration of validated questionnaires.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
TERMINATED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
75
Inclusion Criteria

Patients aged 18 and older undergoing mechanical ventilation via naso- or orotracheal tube -

Exclusion Criteria

Age less than 18, tracheotomy, severe dementia or mental retardation, severe neuromuscular disease or neuromuscular blockade use, institution of mechanical ventilation at another hospital

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Length of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay. Mortality
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Physical and emotional well being. Length of time return to work. Morbidity assessed by questionnaire
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