Practice of sedation and the perception of discomfort during mechanical ventilation in Chinese intensive care units

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate sedation practices and the perception of discomfort during mechanical ventilation in Chinese intensive care units (ICUs).

Material and Method

A prospective, observational, cohort study was conducted in 31 Chinese ICUs in academic hospitals from June 15 to August 15, 2006. Conscious patients who were discharged from the ICU after mechanical ventilation were consecutively included. Using a standardized questionnaire, a personal interview was conducted with each patient within 2 days after discharge from the ICU. Patients were asked about recollections of emotional and physical discomfort. Sedation and analgesia administration data were collected from patient records.

Results

As prospectively defined, 83 (50.9%) of 163 patients met criteria for complex-mixed discomfort (ie, at least 1 emotional and 2 physical disturbances). Similarly, 79.1% of patients remembered seriously uncomfortable experiences associated with 1 of the 3 predefined sources. Both protocolized sedation and continuous sedation without a defined protocol, but not intermittent sedation, significantly reduced the relative risk of complex-mixed discomfort occurrences (P < .001). Notably, only 14.7% of patients received protocolized sedation, and 61 (37.4%) of 163 were not given any sedatives.

Conclusion

Mechanically ventilated ICU patients in Chinese academic hospitals were inadequately treated for discomfort. Protocolized sedation can effectively improve patient comfort.