When the early use of continuous infusion dexmedetomidine was compared to usual care for sedation in mechanically ventilated critically ill adults, there was no difference in 90-day mortality. Dexmedetomidine may not be an ideal sedative for mechanically ventilated critically ill adults requiring deeper sedation, although its use may result in greater ventilator-free, coma-free, or delirium-free days.
Procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) is performed in the emergency department (ED) to alleviate anxiety, decrease pain, and provide amnesia to patients undergoing painful procedures or diagnostic imaging.This article will review guidelines for performing PSA in the ED, including suggested training, preprocedural assessment, and intraprocedural monitoring.
