Sedation and delirium in the intensive care unit

Sedation is an important aspect of intensive care practice. Strategies for providing sedation, methods for assessing depth of sedation and various pharmacological options are discussed in this article. Delirium is common in the intensive care unit and is important to recognize because of the association with increases in both morbidity and mortality. Various strategies exist for identifying and managing delirium. This article examines how delirium can be diagnosed and identifies both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments.