A critical review of daily sedation interruption in the intensive care unit

Abstract

Background. Daily sedation interruption (DSI) has been proposed as a method of improving sedation management of critically ill patients by reducing the adverse effects of continuous sedation infusions. Aim. To critique the research regarding daily sedation interruption, to inform education, research and practice in this area of intensive care practice. Design. Literature review. Method. Medline, CINAHL and Web of Science were searched for relevant key terms. Eight research-based studies, published in the English language between 1995-December 2006 and three conference abstracts were retrieved. Results. Of the eight articles and three conference abstracts reviewed, five originated from one in..