A nurse-driven analgesia and sedation protocol reduces length of PICU stay and cumulative dose of benzodiazepines after corrective surgery for tetralogy of Fallot.

PURPOSE

Analgesia and sedation protocols are reported to reduce the requirement of sedative and analgesic agents, duration of mechanical ventilation, and length of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) stay. However, these studies often were conducted based on inhomogeneous cohorts. The aim of this study was the evaluation of a nurse-driven analgesia and sedation protocol in a homogenous population of infants following corrective surgery for tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).

DESIGN AND METHODS

This retrospective analysis was conducted in a cardiac PICU of a tertiary referral center. Two cohorts of patients who underwent corrective surgery for TOF below the age of 7 months, were retrospectively evaluated before and after implementation of a nurse-driven analgesia and sedation protocol. We compared peak and cumulative doses of midazolam, morphine, and clonidine, length of PICU stay and time on mechanical ventilation.

RESULTS

A total of 33 patients were included in the preimplementation period and 32 during the postimplementation period. Implementation of the nurse-driven analgesia and sedation protocol had no effect on time on mechanical ventilation (72 hr [24-141] vs. 49 hr [24-98]), but significantly on length of PICU stay (7 days [5-14] vs. 5 days [4-7]). Cumulative doses of midazolam (7.37 mg/kg [4.70-17.65] vs. 5.0 mg/kg [2.70-9.12]) as well as peak doses of midazolam (0.22 mg·kg ·hr [0.20-0.33] vs. 0.15 mg·kg ·hr [0.13-0.20]) and morphine (50.0 µg·kg ·hr [39.7-79.9] vs. 42.5 µg·kg ·hr [29.7-51.8]) were significantly reduced. The postimplemantation group showed no increase in postoperative complications and adverse events.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The implementation of a nurse-driven analgesia and sedation protocol is safe in infants following corrective surgery for TOF. It reduces significantly the length of PICU stay, cumulative and peak doses of midazolam and peak doses of morphine.