Sedation in Critically Ill PatientsPractical Recommendations

Provision of anxiolysis and analgesia in critically ill patients is mandatory to improve patient comfort without undue autonomic or haemodynamic adverse effects. The assessment of the level of sedation in the intensive care unit (ICU) by means of scoring systems is important because both undersedation and over-sedation can be counterproductive. Scoring systems, such as the Ramsay Sedation Score or the Modified Observer’s Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale, offer an accurate means of communicating clinical information and monitoring clinical progress.