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Analgesia and sedation in critically ill children

Correspondence to:
Dr S D Playfor, Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Hospital Road, Pendlebury, Manchester M27 4HA, UK; Stephen.playfor@cmmc.nhs.uk

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Providing effective analgesia and sedation for critically ill children means addressing both their physical and psychological comfort. Correctable environmental and physical factors causing discomfort should be dealt with in the first instance; these factors might include medical devices, beds, lighting, noise reduction strategies, fluid and feeding regimes, day-night orientation and maintenance of sleep structure. Factors such as these should be considered before the introduction of any pharmacological agents, and should be continually reassessed during the course of a critical care admission.

After a satisfactory level of analgesia has been achieved, additional sedative agents may be required by some children. The aims of sedation are to reduce levels of anxiety and distress in the child, and to allow for better tolerance of therapeutic or diagnostic procedures. The specific strategies employed to achieve satisfactory levels of analgesia and sedation in critically ill children will depend on whether prolonged sedation is required, as . . . [Full text of this article]