Sedation Management Research Articles

Race and Outcomes in Patients with Congenital Cardiac Disease in an Enhanced Recovery Program

Disparities in perioperative outcomes exist. In addition to patient and socioeconomic factors, racial disparities in outcome measures may be related to issues at the provider and institutional levels. Recognizing a potential role of standardized care in mitigating provider bias, this study aims to compare the perioperative sedation and pain management and consequent outcomes in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) cardiac patients of different races undergoing congenital heart surgery at a single quaternary children's hospital. A retrospective study. A single quaternary pediatric hospital. Patients, infants to adults, undergoing elective congenital cardiac surgery and enrolled in the ERAS protocol from October 2018 to December 2020. None. Of the patients, 872 were reviewed and 606 with race information were analyzed. There was no significant difference in intraoperative and postoperative oral morphine equivalent, perioperative sedatives, and regional blockade in Asian or African American patients when compared to White patients. Postoperative pain scores and outcomes among African American and Asian races were also not statistically different when compared to White patients. Racial disparity in perioperative management and outcomes in patients with standardized ERAS protocols does not exist at the authors' institution. Future comparative studies of ERAS noncardiac patients may provide additional information on the role of standardization in reducing implicit bias.

Pain and sedation management and monitoring in pediatric intensive care units across Europe: an ESPNIC survey

BackgroundManagement and monitoring of pain and sedation to reduce discomfort as well as side effects, such as over- and under-sedation, withdrawal syndrome and delirium, is an integral part of pediatric intensive care practice. However, the current state of management and monitoring of analgosedation across European pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) remains unknown. The aim of this survey was to describe current practices across European PICUs regarding the management and monitoring of pain and sedation.MethodsAn online survey was distributed among 357 European PICUs assessing demographic features, drug choices and dosing, as well as usage of instruments for monitoring pain and sedation. We also compared low- and high-volume PICUs practices. Responses were collected from January to April 2021.ResultsA total of 215 (60% response rate) PICUs from 27 European countries responded. Seventy-one percent of PICUs stated to use protocols for analgosedation management, more frequently in low-volume PICUs (77% vs 63%, p = 0.028). First-choice drug combination was an opioid with a benzodiazepine, namely fentanyl (51%) and midazolam (71%) being the preferred drugs. The starting doses differed between PICUs from 0.1 to 5 mcg/kg/h for fentanyl, and 0.01 to 0.5 mg/kg/h for midazolam. Daily assessment and documentation for pain (81%) and sedation (87%) was reported by most of the PICUs, using the preferred validated FLACC scale (54%) and the COMFORT Behavioural scale (48%), respectively. Both analgesia and sedation were mainly monitored by nurses (92% and 84%, respectively). Eighty-six percent of the responding PICUs stated to use neuromuscular blocking agents in some scenarios. Monitoring of paralysed patients was preferably done by observation of vital signs with electronic devices support.ConclusionsThis survey provides an overview of current analgosedation practices among European PICUs. Drugs of choice, dosing and assessment strategies were shown to differ widely. Further research and development of evidence-based guidelines for optimal drug dosing and analgosedation assessment are needed.

Agreement of the Neonatal Pain, Agitation, and Sedation Scale (N-PASS) With NICU Nurses' Assessments.

Objective assessment tools should standardize and reflect nurses' expert assessments. The Neonatal Pain, Agitation, and Sedation Scale (N-PASS) and the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) are valid measures of pain. The N-PASS also provides a sedation subscale. The objective of this study was to determine N-PASS clinical validity and utility by evaluating agreement of N-PASS scores with bedside nurses' assessments of pain/agitation and sedation in a 64-bed tertiary neonatal intensive care unit. Fifteen bedside nurses trained to use the N-PASS and the NIPS prospectively completed 202 pain/agitation and sedation assessments from a convenience sample of 88 infants, including chronically ventilated, medically fragile infants. N-PASS and NIPS scores were obtained simultaneously but independently of nurse investigators. Bedside nurses also made recommendations about infants' pain and sedation management. There was moderate agreement between N-PASS pain scores and nurses' recommendations (κ= 0.52), very strong agreement between N-PASS sedation scores and nurses' recommendations (κ= 0.99), and very strong associations between N-PASS pain and NIPS scores ( P < .001). Bedside nurse and independent investigator interrater reliability was good for N-PASS pain and NIPS scores (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.83, ICC = 0.85) and excellent for N-PASS sedation (ICC = 0.94). During 93% of assessments, bedside nurses reported that the N-PASS reflected the level of infant sedation well or very well. The N-PASS provides an easy-to-use, valid, and reliable objective measure of pain and sedation that reflects nurses' assessments. Additional studies using the N-PASS are needed to verify results and the influence of the N-PASS on pain and sedation management for medically fragile infants with chronic medical conditions.

The efficacy and safety of nurse-initiated sedation management in an intensive care unit: A two-phase prospective study in Japan.

This study aimed to evaluate whether nurse-initiated sedation management could provide more appropriate sedation compared to usual care in a Japanese intensive care unit (ICU). We conducted a single-center, prospective observational study before and after implementing nurse-initiated sedation using instruction sheets. Patients who had been admitted to a general adult ICU were enrolled. Before our ICU started nurse-initiated sedation (pre-implementation care), adjustment of sedatives and analgesics was performed only by a physician's written or verbal order; however, after implementing nurse-initiated sedation, nurses titrated drugs using instruction sheets. The primary outcome was the efficacy of nurse-initiated sedation, evaluated by the proportion achieving the target Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) score. The analgesic status evaluated by Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT), days of delirium, ventilator days, ICU mortality and hospital mortality were also evaluated. The study examined 30 patients in the pre-implementation care phase and 30 patients in the nurse-initiated sedation phase. The proportions achieving the target RASS were 68% in the nurse-initiated sedation group and 42% in the pre-implementation care group (mean difference, 25%; 95% confidence interval, 13.4%-37.5%; P <.001). Almost all measured CPOT were within the range of 0-3 during both phases. Days of delirium, ventilator days, ICU survival, and hospital survival did not differ significantly between the two groups. Nurse-initiated sedation management achieved a significantly higher degree of target sedation status and was incorporated as part of the care in our ICU. It is a safe approach in countries, such as Japan, where sedation protocols are not widely used.

Safe sedation management using volatile anesthetics during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Several pieces of evidence suggest that volatile anesthetics (VAs), which were originally used as sedatives, have myocardial protective effects against cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury. In Europe and the United States, the use of VAs during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is widespread, as 2019 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS)/European Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology/European Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion, 2011 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association, and 2017 EACTS guidelines recommend their use in cardiovascular surgery, based on their potential myocardial protective effects. In other countries, including Japan, the use of VAs is gradually increasing. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the risks and possible adverse events associated with VA use during CPB to ensure safe sedation management. Herein, we describe in detail issues such as intraoperative awareness, air pollution, and damage to oxygenators due to VA use and propose precautions.

Quality of clinical practice guidelines and recommendations for the management of pain, sedation, delirium and iatrogenic withdrawal in pediatric intensive care: a systematic review protocol

IntroductionInadequate management of pain and sedation in critically ill children can cause unnecessary suffering and agitation, but also delirium and iatrogenic withdrawal. It is, therefore, important to address these four...

2022 Society of Critical Care Medicine Clinical Practice Guidelines on Prevention and Management of Pain, Agitation, Neuromuscular Blockade, and Delirium in Critically Ill Pediatric Patients With Consideration of the ICU Environment and Early Mobility.

A guideline that both evaluates current practice and provides recommendations to address sedation, pain, and delirium management with regard for neuromuscular blockade and withdrawal is not currently available. To develop comprehensive clinical practice guidelines for critically ill infants and children, with specific attention to seven domains of care including pain, sedation/agitation, iatrogenic withdrawal, neuromuscular blockade, delirium, PICU environment, and early mobility. The Society of Critical Care Medicine Pediatric Pain, Agitation, Neuromuscular Blockade, and Delirium in critically ill pediatric patients with consideration of the PICU Environment and Early Mobility Guideline Taskforce was comprised of 29 national experts who collaborated from 2009 to 2021 via teleconference and/or e-mail at least monthly for planning, literature review, and guideline development, revision, and approval. The full taskforce gathered annually in-person during the Society of Critical Care Medicine Congress for progress reports and further strategizing with the final face-to-face meeting occurring in February 2020. Throughout this process, the Society of Critical Care Medicine standard operating procedures Manual for Guidelines development was adhered to. Taskforce content experts separated into subgroups addressing pain/analgesia, sedation, tolerance/iatrogenic withdrawal, neuromuscular blockade, delirium, PICU environment (family presence and sleep hygiene), and early mobility. Subgroups created descriptive and actionable Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome questions. An experienced medical information specialist developed search strategies to identify relevant literature between January 1990 and January 2020. Subgroups reviewed literature, determined quality of evidence, and formulated recommendations classified as "strong" with "we recommend" or "conditional" with "we suggest." Good practice statements were used when indirect evidence supported benefit with no or minimal risk. Evidence gaps were noted. Initial recommendations were reviewed by each subgroup and revised as deemed necessary prior to being disseminated for voting by the full taskforce. Individuals who had an overt or potential conflict of interest abstained from relevant votes. Expert opinion alone was not used in substitution for a lack of evidence. The Pediatric Pain, Agitation, Neuromuscular Blockade, and Delirium in critically ill pediatric patients with consideration of the PICU Environment and Early Mobility taskforce issued 44 recommendations (14 strong and 30 conditional) and five good practice statements. The current guidelines represent a comprehensive list of practical clinical recommendations for the assessment, prevention, and management of key aspects for the comprehensive critical care of infants and children. Main areas of focus included 1) need for the routine monitoring of pain, agitation, withdrawal, and delirium using validated tools, 2) enhanced use of protocolized sedation and analgesia, and 3) recognition of the importance of nonpharmacologic interventions for enhancing patient comfort and comprehensive care provision.

The Right to Die in the United States

This review article is intended to introduce clinicians in Japan to the four types of medical procedures associated with the right to die in the United States and their ethical background. The four types of procedures are as follows: forgoing life-sustaining medical treatment, palliative sedation and intensive symptom management, physician-assisted suicide, and euthanasia. This article discusses the difference between negative and positive rights and how they apply to these four procedures. In addition, it discusses the reason why withdrawing ventilation is considered ethically equal to its withholding. Other topics that are covered include the principle of double effect and proportionality in palliative sedation, the practice of physician-assisted suicide in the US, and controversies regarding euthanasia. Additionally, this article mentions the voluntary stopping of eating and drinking (VSED) as another category of the right to die. Ethics and laws are specific to the region and the culture. The author encourages Japan, where the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments is still not part of usual practice, to advance ethical discussions among its population so that more options for the right to die will be available to the patients in its society.

Cardiovascular critical care nursing procedures in patients on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate nursing care procedures and outcomes in patients with post-cardiotomy cardiogenic shock (PCCS) requiring venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). Patients and methods: Between June 2016 and June 2017, a total of five patients (1 male, 4 females; mean age 67.2 years; range, 55 to 81 years) who received VA-ECMO for PCCS in our clinic were retrospectively analyzed. The ECMO device was implanted in the operating room or in the cardiovascular intensive care unit CICU by an experienced cardiovascular surgeon. Air and thrombus formation and blood flow were monitored by the perfusionists. Daily nursing care included monitorization, control of bleeding, sedation management, pain control, nutrition, control of skin integrity and infection, sponge bath, changing the position of endotracheal tube, dressing replacement, decubitus control, changing sheets, and back hygiene. Results: Two patients who were successfully weaned off VA-ECMO survived to hospital discharge. The median duration of daily nursing care was 62 (range, 45 to 65) min. The longest steps in daily nursing were sponge bath and elevation of the patient. None of the patients suffered from decannulation or displacement of the VA-ECMO cannulas during nursing. Conclusion: We conclude that nurses are fundamental in the care of VA-ECMO patients for the early diagnosis and intervention of procedure-related complications.

Sedation, analgesia, and delirium management in Portugal: a survey and point prevalence study

ObjectiveTo establish current Portuguese critical care practices regarding analgesia, sedation, and delirium based on a comparison between the activities reported and daily clinical practice.MethodsA national survey was conducted among physicians invited to report their practice toward analgesia, sedation, and delirium in intensive care units. A point prevalence study was performed to analyze daily practices.ResultsA total of 117 physicians answered the survey, and 192 patients were included in the point prevalence study. Survey and point prevalence studies reflect a high sedation assessment (92%; 88.5%), with the Richmond Agitated Sedation Scale being the most reported and used scale (41.7%; 58.2%) and propofol being the most reported and used medication (91.4%; 58.6%). Midazolam prescribing was reported by 68.4% of responders, but a point prevalence study revealed a use of 27.6%.Although 46.4% of responders reported oversedation, this was actually documented in 32% of the patients. The survey reports the daily assessment of pain (92%) using standardized scales (71%). The same was identified in the point prevalence study, with 91.1% of analgesia assessment mainly with the Behavioral Pain Scale. In the survey, opioids were reported as the first analgesic. In clinical practice, acetaminophen was the first option (34.6%), followed by opioids. Delirium assessment was reported by 70% of physicians but was performed in less than 10% of the patients.ConclusionThe results from the survey did not accurately reflect the common practices in Portuguese intensive care units, as reported in the point prevalence study. Efforts should be made specifically to avoid oversedation and to promote delirium assessment.

Psychiatric management of Patients in intensive care units.

Psychiatric management of Patients in intensive care units.

Implementation of a sedation protocol: a quality improvement project to enhance sedation management in the paediatric intensive care unit

BackgroundProper sedation is integral to ensuring the safety and comfort of children on mechanical ventilation (MV). Sedation protocols help to achieve this goal and reduce the duration of MV. We...

Real-world practice of acute leukemia intrathecal chemotherapy administration: A Mexican nationwide survey

IntroductionIntrathecal chemotherapy is a mainstay component of acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment. In Mexico, there is a considerable practice variability in aspects, such as the manner of preparation and the administration technique. ObjectiveOur objective was to describe the different techniques used for the application of ITC and review the existing recommendations in the literature. MethodA cross-sectional, nationwide survey study was conducted by an electronic questionnaire sent to hematologists and oncologists in Mexico. We collected demographic data, personal experience, intrathecal chemotherapy techniques, drug preparation and postprocedural conduct. ResultsWe received 173 responses. Twenty percent had an anesthesiologist administering sedation and pain management. The platelet count considered safe was 50 × 109/L in 48% of the participants. In 77% (n = 133) of the cases, the conventional needle with stylet used was, 49% did not receive any added diluent in the intrathecal chemotherapy and only 42% were recommended to rest in a horizontal position for more than 30 min. ConclusionWe identified a considerable variation in the administration of intrathecal chemotherapy across the hematologists in Mexico. We discuss the implications and opportunities in reducing the variation in our setting, highlighting the unmet need to establish guidelines that should be evaluated by the Mexican professional society to produce a position paper regarding practice standardization.

Dexmedetomidine Use in Infants Undergoing Cooling Due to Neonatal Encephalopathy (DICE Trial): A Randomized Controlled Trial: Background, Aims and Study Protocol.

Background: Neonatal hypoxia-ischemia encephalopathy (HIE) is the leading cause of neonatal death and poor neurodevelopmental outcomes worldwide. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH), while beneficial, still leaves many HIE treated infants with lifelong disabilities. Furthermore, infants undergoing TH often require treatment for pain and agitation which may lead to further brain injury. For instance, morphine use in animal models has been shown to induce neuronal apoptosis. Dexmedetomidine is a potent α2-adrenergic receptor agonist that may be a better alternative to morphine for newborns with HIE treated with TH. Dexmedetomidine provides sedation, analgesia, and prevents shivering but does not suppress ventilation. Importantly, there is increasing evidence that dexmedetomidine has neuroprotective properties. Even though there are limited data on pharmacokinetics (PK), safety and efficacy of dexmedetomidine in infants with HIE, it has been increasingly administered in many centers.Objectives: To review the current approach to treatment of pain, sedation and shivering in infants with HIE undergoing TH, and to describe a new phase II safety and pharmacokinetics randomized controlled trial that proposes the use of dexmedetomidine vs. morphine in this population.Methods: This article presents an overview of the current management of pain and sedation in critically ill infants diagnosed with HIE and undergoing TH for 72 h. The article describes the design and methodology of a randomized, controlled, unmasked multicenter trial of dexmedetomidine vs. morphine administration enrolling 50 (25 per arm) neonates ≥36 weeks of gestation with moderate or severe HIE undergoing TH and that require pain/sedation treatment.Results and Conclusions: Dexmedetomidine may be a better alternative to morphine for the treatment of pain and sedation in newborns with HIE treated with TH. There is increasing evidence that dexmedetomidine has neuroprotective properties in several preclinical studies of injury models including ischemia-reperfusion, inflammation, and traumatic brain injury as well as adult clinical trials of brain trauma. The Dexmedetomidine Use in Infants undergoing Cooling due to Neonatal Encephalopathy (DICE) trial will evaluate whether administration of dexmedetomidine vs. morphine is safe, establish dexmedetomidine optimal dosing by collecting opportunistic PK data, and obtain preliminary neurodevelopmental data to inform a large Phase III efficacy trial with long term neurodevelopment impairment as the primary outcome.

Use of intravenous lidocaine for dose reduction of propofol in paediatric colonoscopy patients: a randomised placebo-controlled study

BackgroundPropofol, a widely used sedative in endoscopic procedures, sometimes causes cardiopulmonary complications. Intravenous lidocaine can diminish visceral pain and decrease the dose of propofol. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of intravenous lidocaine in reducing propofol dosage during paediatric colonoscopy.MethodsForty children who underwent colonoscopy were divided into two groups. Lidocaine hydrochloride (1.5 mg/kg induction and 2 mg/kg/h maintenance) was given intravenously to the lidocaine group, and the same amount of saline was given to the control group after they received lidocaine induction. Propofol initial plasma concentration of 5 μg/mL was targeted, and the procedure was performed after the bispectral index value reached 55. The primary outcome was propofol requirement.ResultsThe propofol requirement in the lidocaine group was decreased by 35.5% (128.6 ± 30.4 mg vs. 199.4 ± 57.6 mg; p < 0.001; 95%CI: − 100.60, − 41.02). The incidence of involuntary body movements was significantly lower in the lidocaine group (p = 0.028; OR = 0.17; 95%CI: 0.03, 0.92). The awakening time (p < 0.001; 95%CI: − 7.67, − 5.13) and recovery times (p < 0.001; 95%CI: − 7.45, − 4.35) were significantly lower in the lidocaine group. Pain was significantly less at 30 min and 60 min after the procedure in the lidocaine group (0 [0–4] vs. 3 [0–5], p < 0. 001; 0 [0–2] vs. 1 [0–3], p = 0.001). There was no difference in the incidence of bradycardia, hypotension, or hypoxia between the two groups.ConclusionsFor colonoscopy procedures in paediatric patients, intravenous lidocaine reduces the amount of propofol needed, provides better sedation and postprocedural pain management, as well as a reduction in recovery time.Trial registrationThe trial was registered on November 6, 2020 at China Clinical Trials Registration Center (www.chictr.org.cn) ref.: ChiCTR 2,000,039,706.

Variations in analgesic, sedation, and delirium management between trauma and non-trauma critically ill children.

Studies have shown the benefit of intensive care unit (ICU) bundled protocols; however, they are primarily derived from medical patients. We hypothesized that patients and their medication profiles are different between critically ill medical, surgical, and trauma patients. The Pediatric Health Information System 2017 dataset was used to perform a retrospective cohort study of critically ill children. The pediatric medical, surgical, and trauma cohorts were separated based on ICD-10 codes. Data collected included demographics, secondary diagnoses, outcomes, and medication data. Medications were grouped as opiates, GABA-agonists, alpha-2 agonists, anti-psychotics, paralytics, and "other" sedatives. A non-parametric Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (KS test) and odds ratios (reference group: medical cohort) were calculated to compare medication administration between the study cohorts for the first 30 ICU days. A total of 4488 critically ill children (medical 2078, surgical 1650, and trauma 760) were identified. The trauma cohort had increased incidence of delirium (medical 10.8%, surgical 11.5%, trauma 13.8%; p < 0.01) and mortality (medical 5.4%, surgical 2.4%, trauma 11.7%; p < 0.01). For all study cohorts, > 50% received GABA-agonists on ICU days 0-30. With the KS test, there was a significant difference in administration of opiates, GABA-agonists, alpha-2 agonists, anti-psychotics, and "other" sedatives over the first 30days in the ICU. Relative to medical patients, trauma patients had significantly higher odds of receiving anti-psychotics on ICU days 10-20 and 22-24. Critically ill pediatric trauma, medical, and surgical patients are distinctly different patient populations with differing pharmacologic profiles for analgesia, sedation, and delirium. Level III (Retrospective Comparative Study).

Abstract 12914: Predicting Favorable Hemodynamic Response to Intravenous Morphine in ICU Patients With Congenital Heart Disease

Introduction: Intravenous morphine is commonly used to treat pain in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), though response is variable. For a variety of reasons (objective measure in small children, who cannot communicate verbally; intubation; neuromuscular blockade), heart rate (HR) is often used to assess medication response. As a groundwork for decision support, we created a model of predicting a favorable hemodynamic response to intravenous morphine. Methods: All doses of intravenous morphine administered to patients in the cardiac ICU between 2011 and 2020 were reviewed, excluding doses given on ECMO support, during pacing, or with missing hemodynamic data. The change in HR Z score from baseline (5 minutes prior to bolus) and putative peak effect (30 minutes post-bolus) was computed. Doses were dichotomized into ‘effective’ doses (HR decrease by ≥1 Z-score) and ‘ineffective’, denoting a particularly noticeable change at the bedside. Generalized mixed linear models (GMLM) and random forest (RF) classifiers were used to model the HR response over time. The dataset was divided (dose level) into training (80%) and validation (20%) cohorts. Results: Of 197,242 doses, 117,495 doses among 8,154 patients (median age 0.61 years, 44% post-surgical patients) were included. The median dose of morphine was 0.051 mg/kg (IQR 0.048, 0.099). Concomitant infusions included opioids (45%) and sedatives (53%); 23% of patients received NMB agents. The median HR Z score change was -0.8 (A). HR response category was well predicted by both GMLM (sensitivity = 0.69, PPV 0.90, AUC 0.74) and RF models (sensitivity = 0.73, PPV = 0.90, AUC = 0.76). Predictor variables for GMLM are shown in B. Conclusions: A favorable HR response to morphine can be accurately predicted prior to administration using logical patient factors. This tool represents a component of a decision-support tool for sedation and pain management in critically ill patients.

Sedation and analgesia requirements during venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in acute respiratory distress syndrome patients.

The purpose of this study is to describe sedation and analgesia management, and identify the factors associated with increased demand for medication in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients receiving venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO). This retrospective, single-center study included consecutive adult ARDS patients who received VV-ECMO for at least 24 hours from January 2018 to December 2020 in a comprehensive intensive care unit. The electronic medical records were retrospectively reviewed to collect data. Forty-two adult patients meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Midazolam, sufentanil, and remifentanil were main sedatives and analgesics used in the patient population. The morphine equivalents, representative of the demand for opioids, was 512.9 (IQR, 294.5, 798.2) mg/day. The midazolam equivalents, representative of benzodiazepine requirement, was 279.6 (IQR, 208.8, 384.5) mg/day. The levels of serum creatinine, total bilirubin, lactic acid, SOFA score, and APACHE Ⅱ score at cannulation were found to be associated with opiate or benzodiazepine requirements. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed a linear correlation between midazolam equivalents and morphine equivalents (p < 0.001). In addition, there was a negative linear correlation between Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score and midazolam equivalents (p = 0.024). The sedation and analgesia requirements of ARDS patients receiving VV-ECMO often increase simultaneously. More large-scale studies are needed to confirm the risk factors for increased sedation and analgesia needs in patients supported on VV-ECMO.

Lactate changes during mobilization of intensive care patients : Aretrospective observational study

For intensive care patients the return to normal life is usually along and strenuous journey. In addition to the severity of the underlying disease, possible comorbidities, sedation and pain management as well as the use of various drugs together with the length of stay in the intensive care unit are factors that strongly influence the course of early rehabilitation and thus the functional outcome. Intensive care patients in particular are exposed to extreme stress during mobilization and often reach their cardiopulmonary stress limit. In order to determine such limits, lactate measurement is used in the performance diagnostics of athletes. In aretrospective study 20intensive care patients were mobilized up to their subjective maximum load capacity during physiotherapy (sitting on the edge of the bed n = 6, standing n = 12 and walking n = 2). The lactate value was determined from the routine arterial blood gas analysis and then an attempt was made to establish acorrelation between the subjectively perceived change in exercise load (Borg CR10) and the changes in lactate measurements. Changes in the sense of an increase in stress occurred in both in the Borg scale and in the lactate measurements. The subjective maximum load capacity increased on average by 4.85points (p = 0.13, 95% confidence interval, CI 4.58-5.12). In addition, asignificant mean increase in lactate by 10.8 mg/dl (p < 0.001, 95% CI 9.73-11.87) was observed. No positive correlation between the load-induced changes in Borg values and the development of lactate values was shown (Pearson correlation: r = 0.123). The subjective load increase in the Borg CR10 observed in all 20intensive care patients included in the study and the associated significant increase in lactate after mobilization, suggest that an efficient load in the sense of atraining-desired supercompensation was achieved through mobilization. The tendency towards acorrelation between the changes in Borg CR10 and the lactate values can be interpreted as an indication that the development of lactate values can also be used in intensive care patients to avoid overloading of patients in early rehabilitation.

Application of bundle management strategy in early mobility of mechanically ventilated patients

To explore the effect of bundle management strategy in early mobility of patients with mechanical ventilation. Seventy-two mechanically ventilated patients admitted to the respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) of Fenyang Hospital of Shanxi Province from December 2019 to June 2020 were enrolled. The patients were divided into routine nursing control group (routine control group) and early mobility bundle management group (bundle group), with 36 cases in each group. The routine control group received regular nursing, including monitoring vital signs, raising the head of the bed, turning over and buttoning the back every 2 hours, daily awakening, airway humidification, prevention of digestive tract ulcer, analgesia and sedation management, prevention of deep vein embolism, pipeline management, regular monitoring of blood gas analysis and electrolytes according to the changes of the condition, prevention of aspiration, prevention of bacterial colonization, correct hand hygiene, and so on. The bundle group implemented the cluster early mobility strategy based on routine nursing. Firstly, set up a professional team to execute the standards. The team determined the plan and implemented the 4-level mobility plan, companied with psychological intervention, decided the termination standard and quality control. The incidence of intensive care unit acquired weakness (ICU-AW), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), delirium, the duration of mechanical ventilation and the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay were evaluated. Compared with the routine control group, the incidences of ICU-AW, VAP, and delirium in the bundle group were significantly lower (the incidence of ICU-AW: 36.11% vs. 69.44%, χ2 = 8.025, P = 0.005; the incidence of VAP: 8.33% vs. 30.56%, χ2 = 5.675, P = 0.017; the incidence of delirium: 5.56% vs. 36.11%, χ2 = 10.180, P = 0.001), the duration of mechanical ventilation was significantly shorter (days: 7.13±1.34 vs. 10.46±1.48, t = -10.145, P < 0.001), and the length of ICU stay was also significantly decreased (days: 9.03±2.43 vs. 13.06±3.63, t = -5.535, P < 0.001). The implementation of bundle management strategy of early mobility can promote the rehabilitation of mechanical ventilated patients, improve the prognosis and the quality of life. The effect is noticeable and it is worth popularizing.