Duration of mechanical ventilation in an adult intensive care unit after introduction of sedation and pain scales.

Background: Sedation and analgesia scales promote a less-distressing experience in the intensive care unit and minimize complications for patients receiving mechanical ventilation.

Objectives: To evaluate outcomes before and after introduction of scales for sedation and analgesia in a general intensive care unit.

Method: A before-and-after design was used to evaluate introduction of the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale and the Behavioral Pain Scale for patients receiving mechanical ventilation.