Elimination of Routine Benzodiazepine Administration for Nonprocedural Sedation in a Trauma Intensive Care Unit is Feasible

Abstract

Current guidelines on the management of pain, agitation, and delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU) recommend a non-benzodiazepine (BDZ)-based approach to sedation. Management of agitation can be challenging in multitrauma patients but is imperative to facilitate patient recovery. Given the current guideline recommendations, a protocol to eliminate BDZ administration and maintain light levels of sedation was adopted in our ICU. The purpose of this analysis was to demonstrate that it is feasible to safely eliminate BDZ administration in a trauma ICU. This was a single-center, retrospective, observational analysis at a Level I trauma center. Adult patients (>18 years old) admitted to the Trauma Critical Care service from March 2015 to August 2015 were included. The primary outcome recorded was the use and duration of nonprocedural BDZs which was defined as BDZ not given within one hour of a procedure or test. A total of 64 patients met the inclusion criteria. The average Injury Severity Score was 18.7. A total of 14 patients (21.9%) received BDZ for a nonprocedure-related indication. Of those patients, all (100%) received less than three as-needed doses of BDZs during their ICU stay. In mechanically ventilated patients, continuous sedation or analgesia was not continued for more than 1.3 days. Only five patients (7.8%) received continuous BDZ. Limiting sedation is feasible in critically ill polytrauma patients. Protocols to standardize sedation strategies should be implemented in the ICU to avoid unnecessary sedation.