Dexmedetomidine: A “New” Weapon for an Old War. Some Reflections, Some Review of Recent Literature - Abstract
Patients admitted in ICUs do frequently need from sedation to mitigate uncomfortable or painful maneuvres. Tracheal intubation, mobilization of the patient for grooming or wound dressing review are some examples of unpleasant experiences.
Besides, some patients are quiet and collaborator even during intubation and mechanical ventilation, but it is not infrequent to find psychomotor agitation during ICU admission, so that the physician and the nurses find severe difficulties to manage the normal evolution of respiratory weaning and rehabilitation processes are impaired.
We need the patients to be calm and quiet, but at the same time, alert and cooperative, and its difficult to reach this balance.