Tag Archives: Opioid Analgesics

Benzodiazepine-associated delirium in critically ill adults. (Betters)

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Zaal IJ, et al. Benzodiazepine-associated delirium in critically ill adults. Intensive Care Med. 2015 Dec;41(12):2130-7.

PURPOSE: The association between benzodiazepine use and delirium risk in the ICU remains unclear. Prior investigations have failed to account for disease severity prior to delirium onset, competing events that may preclude delirium detection, other important delirium risk factors, and an adequate number of patients receiving continuous midazolam. The aim of this study was to address these limitations and evaluate the association between benzodiazepine exposure and ICU delirium occurrence.

METHODS: In a cohort of consecutive critically ill adults, daily mental status was classified as either awake without delirium, delirium, or coma. In a first-order Markov model, multinomial logistic regression analysis was used, which considered five possible outcomes the next day (i.e., awake without delirium, delirium, coma, ICU discharge, and death) and 16 delirium-related covariables, to quantify the association between benzodiazepine use and delirium occurrence the following day.

RESULTS: Among 1112 patients, 9867 daily transitions occurred. Benzodiazepine administration in an awake patient without delirium was associated with increased risk of delirium the next day [OR 1.04 (per 5 mg of midazolam equivalent administered) 95 % CI 1.02-1.05). When the method of benzodiazepine administration was incorporated in the model, the odds of transitioning to delirium was higher with benzodiazepines given continuously (OR 1.04, 95 % CI 1.03-1.06) compared to benzodiazepines given intermittently (OR 0.97, 95 % CI 0.88-1.05).

CONCLUSIONS: After addressing potential methodological limitations of prior studies, we confirm that benzodiazepine administration increases the risk for delirium in critically ill adults but this association seems to be limited to continuous infusion use only.

Ketamine does not increase intracranial pressure compared with opioids: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. (Petrillo)

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Wang X, Ding X, Tong Y, Zong J, Zhao X, Ren H, Li Q. Ketamine does not increase intracranial pressure compared with opioids: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Anesth. 2014 May 24. [Epub ahead of print]

BACKGROUND: Ketamine is traditionally avoided in sedation management of patients with risk of intracranial hypertension. However, results from many clinical trials contradict this concern. We critically analyzed the published data of the effects of ketamine on intracranial pressure (ICP) and other cerebral hemodynamics to determine whether ketamine was safe for patients with hemodynamic instability and brain injuries.

METHODS: We systematically searched the online databases of PubMed, Medline, Embase, Current Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Central (last search performed on January 15, 2014). Trial characteristics and outcomes were independently extracted by two assessors (Xin Wang, Xibing Ding). For continuous data, mean differences (MD) were formulated. If the P value of the chi-square test was >0.10 or I 2 <50 %, a fixed-effects model was used; otherwise, the random effects model was adopted.

RESULTS: Five trials (n = 198) met the inclusion criteria. Using ICP levels within the first 24 h of ketamine administration as the main outcome, the use of ketamine leads to the same ICP levels as opioids [MD = 1.94; 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI), -2.35, 6.23; P = 0.38]. There were no significant differences in mean arterial pressure values between the two groups (MD = 0.99; 95 % CI, -2.24, 4.22; P = 0.55). Ketamine administration was also comparable with opioids in the maintenance of cerebral perfusion pressure (MD = -1.07; 95 % CI, -7.95, 5.8; P = 0.76).

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that ketamine does not increase ICP compared with opioids. Ketamine provides good maintenance of hemodynamic status. Clinical application of ketamine should not be discouraged on the basis of ICP-related concerns.

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