Concomitant Assessment of Depth of Sedation by Changes in Bispectral Index and Changes in Autonomic Variables (Heart Rate and/or BP) in Pediatric Critically Ill Patients Receiving Neuromuscular Blockade

While significant changes in BIS are thought to reflect significant changes in depth of sedation, they have a very low rate of agreement with changes in vital signs. In the absence of BIS, the level of sedation of chemically paralyzed pediatric patients can be better guided by changes in MAP than in HR, particularly in patients receiving vasoactive drug treatment.