Approach to sedation in the ICU

Sedation is fundamental to the care of ICU patients. Many practitioners undervalue the importance of sedation on patient outcome. Sedation must be approached methodically. To do this, the clinical team must understand the various components comprising a sedation regimen and the pharmacologic options available to meet the patients' needs. Once the appropriate pharmacological course has been determined, an instrument must be chosen to measure the effectiveness of the treatment. There exists a multitude of scales by which to assess sedation. This review should facilitate the clinician in developing a systematic approach to sedation and offer ways to assess the treatment effectiveness.