Sedation and XXXX in paediatric intensive care: a review of current practice in the UK.

@entity1 @entity4094 @entity3369 @entity1286 @entity1363
BACKGROUND: Our aim was to investigate the current practice of sedation and @entity4094 in critically ill @entity1 in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in the UK. METHODS: A postal questionnaire was sent to all PICUs in the UK. RESULTS: The most commonly used sedative agents were @entity1363 in combination with @entity1286 . Written clinical guidelines for the sedation of critically ill @entity1 were available in 45% of units. Sedation is formally assessed in 40% of units. @entity3369 is the most commonly used neuromuscular blocking agent. In the UK, 31% of critically ill @entity1 are likely to receive neuromuscular blocking agents. Depth of @entity4094 is routinely assessed in 16% of @entity1 . CONCLUSIONS: Relatively few units possess clinical guidelines for the sedation of critically ill @entity1 , and only a minority formally assess sedation levels. Where neuromuscular blocking agents are administered, sedation is frequently inadequately assessed and the depth of @entity4094 is rarely estimated.
