Delirium in ICU Patients may be Prevented by the Use of Sedatives

Delirium in critically ill patients can be prevented by adminstering a small dosage of dexmedetomidine sedative during the night time.the sedative also improves the sleep quality in patients.

To prevent delirium in critically ill patients a small dose of dexmedetomidine sedative can be administered to them during the night time, finds a new study published in American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine .//

In "Low-dose Nocturnal Dexmedetomidine Prevents ICU Delirium: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial," researchers report on what is believed to be the first investigation to identify a drug to prevent adults from developing delirium in the ICU.

Delirium - Types, Causes, Symptoms, Signs, Diagnosis, Treatment
Delirium is a sudden disturbance in mental function that causes confusion and decreased awareness of one’s environment. It is classified into three subtypes – hyperactive, hypoactive and mixed.

‘Dexmedetomidine sedative helps to prevent delirium in critically ill patients.’

The study was led by Yoanna Skrobik, MD, FRCP(c) MSc, a clinician-scientist at McGill University Health Centre in Canada who conducted the first studies of delirium in the critically ill and whose research has shown that delirium prolongs hospital stay and increases mortality.

"In other studies, dexmedetomidine has been associated with lower delirium prevalence rates than other sedatives," Dr. Skrobik said. "But whether dexmedetomidine might actually prevent delirium was not clear."

The study enrolled 100 ICU patients at two hospitals, one in Quebec, the other in Boston. The patients did not have delirium at the time of ICU enrollment. Half the patients were randomly assigned to receive intravenous dexmedetomidine; the other half were infused with the placebo. Neither the patients nor the ICU health care team knew which arm of the trial the patients were in.

Decreased Consciousness - Symptom Evaluation
Consciousness can be decreased to various degrees and result in conditions like delirium, stupor, coma, persistent vegetative state, minimal conscious state and brain death.

The study found that compared to the placebo arm, those receiving dexmedetomidine during their ICU stay:

Were more likely to remain free of delirium throughout their ICU stay: 80 percent vs. 54 percent.
Spent more days free of delirium in the ICU: 8 vs. 6 days.
Were less likely, if in pain, to experience severe pain: 44 percent vs. 66 percent.

The authors expected that dexmedetomidine would also improve sleep quality. A previous study of a select group of critically ill patients found that to be the case. In the current study, however, there was no difference in sleep quality between the two groups, as assessed by a self-reported questionnaire.

Dr. Skrobik said that the sleep findings should be interpreted in light of two caveats: sleep in the ICU is almost always abnormal, and no validated instrument exists to identify when an ICU patient is experiencing normal vs. abnormal sleep.

ICU Delirium - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
ICU delirium is the most dreaded and least diagnosed complication of an illness which requires treatment in the critical care unit.

There was also no difference in length of ICU stay or hospital stay, or in ICU mortality. However, a reduction in opiate requirements confirmed other studies describing dexmedetomidine's potential to relieve pain.

"We believe this is a practice-altering study and that dexmedetomidine should be used with patients at high risk for delirium," Dr. Skrobik said.

Haloperidol Does Not Help Prevent Delirium
Prophylactic use of the haloperidol, commonly used antipsychotic drug does not help prevent delirium in ICU patients or improve their chances of survival.

Source-Eurekalert