Importance: Recent studies have found an association between COVID-19 infection and deeper sedation in mechanically ventilated patients, raising concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pain, agitation, and delirium (PAD) management practices overall.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess differences in PAD management in patients without COVID-19 infection in pre- and peri-COVID-19 pandemic timeframes.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was a single-center, retrospective, pre-/post-cohort analysis of mechanically ventilated adult patients without COVID-19 infection admitted to an ICU in Boston, MA. The "pre" and "post" groups enrolled patients in 2019 and 2021, respectively. All PAD data during the first 7 days of mechanical ventilation (MV) were collected.

Main Outcomes And Measures: The primary outcome was ventilator-free days (VFDs) during the first 28 days. A multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to assess VFD while controlling for confounders. Secondary outcomes included depth of sedation, total dose of sedatives, and in-hospital mortality.

Results: There were 339 patients included in the final analysis. There was no difference in VFD between the pre- and post-groups (22.2 vs. 22.6 d; p = 0.92); this was confirmed by multivariable linear regression (p = 0.91). Patients in the post-group experienced significantly deeper levels of sedation compared with the pre-group (58% vs. 53%; p < 0.01) within the first 48 hours of MV. The median number of Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale assessments per 24-hour period was greater in the pre-group (13 vs. 12 assessments; p = 0.02) within the first 48 hours of MV. There were no significant differences in total cumulative dose of sedatives or in-hospital mortality between the two groups.

Conclusions And Relevance: This study suggests that PAD practices, including depth of sedation and frequency of assessment, differed between pre- and post-COVID-19 groups in patients without COVID-19. Outcomes including VFD, mortality, and hospital length of stay were not affected. Further studies are needed to understand the broader impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on PAD management practices.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/CCE.0000000000001202DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

covid-19 pandemic
12
covid-19 infection
12
pad management
12
patients covid-19
12
pain agitation
8
agitation delirium
8
mechanically ventilated
8
impact covid-19
8
management practices
8
multivariable linear
8

Similar Publications

Purpose: Research has shown that prolonged endotracheal intubation can increase risk of aspiration following extubation. This study examined the relationship between swallowing and intubation among patients with COVID-19. We investigated the association between the duration of intubation and time until an oral diet was safely initiated and the correlation between the length of intubation and reduced sensation with aspiration as seen on flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES)/videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Evaluating a Public Health Assessment and Response Framework: SARS-CoV-2 Spread Under the Controlled Distancing Model of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Health Secur

January 2025

Ricardo Rohweder, MSc, is a PhD Student, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular; Lavinia Schuler-Faccini, PhD, is a Professor, Department of Genética and Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular; and Gonçalo Ferraz, PhD, is a Professor, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia and Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular; all at the Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Lavinia Schuler-Faccini is also a Professor, Medical Genetics Service of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

In early 2020, to halt the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the state government of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil established a public health assessment and response framework known as a "controlled distancing model." Using this framework, the government divided the state into 21 regions and evaluated them against a composite index of disease transmission and health service capacity. Regions were assessed using a color-coded scale of flags that was updated on a weekly basis and used to guide the adoption of nonpharmaceutical interventions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Importance: Blood culture (BC) use benchmarks in US hospitals have not been defined.

Objective: To characterize BC use in adult intensive care units (ICUs) and wards in US hospitals.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A retrospective cross-sectional study of BC use in adult medical ICUs, medical-surgical ICUs, medical wards, and medical-surgical wards from acute care hospitals from the 4 US geographic regions was conducted.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Importance: Recent studies have found an association between COVID-19 infection and deeper sedation in mechanically ventilated patients, raising concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pain, agitation, and delirium (PAD) management practices overall.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess differences in PAD management in patients without COVID-19 infection in pre- and peri-COVID-19 pandemic timeframes.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was a single-center, retrospective, pre-/post-cohort analysis of mechanically ventilated adult patients without COVID-19 infection admitted to an ICU in Boston, MA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Maternal smoking increases adverse risks for both the mother's pregnancy and the unborn child and remains disproportionately high among some Indigenous peoples. Decreasing smoking among pregnant Indigenous women has been identified as a health priority in New Zealand because of wide inequities in smoking-related harms. Using pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, this feasibility study assessed the acceptability and potential efficacy of a novel cessation program designed for Indigenous women by Indigenous experts utilizing traditional knowledge and practice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!