Véronique Bilodeau1, Mar Saavedra-Mitjans1,2, Anne Julie Frenette1,2,3, Lisa Burry4,5, Martin Albert6,7, Francis Bernard6,7, David R Williamson1,2,3. 1. Faculté de pharmacie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada. 2. Research center, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur-de-Montréal, Montreal, Canada. 3. Pharmacy Department, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur-de-Montréal, Montreal, Canada. 4. Pharmacy Department, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada. 5. Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. 6. Department of Critical Care, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Canada. 7. Department of Medicine, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Behavioural disturbances such as agitation are common following traumatic brain injury and can interfere with treatments, cause self-harm and delay rehabilitation. As there is a lack of evidence on the optimal approach to manage agitation in recovering TBI patients, various pharmacological agents are used including antipsychotics, anticonvulsants and sedative agents. Among sedatives, the safety and efficacy of dexmedetomidine to control agitation in traumatic brain injury patients is not well documented. OBJECTIVE: To describe the safety, use and efficacy of dexmedetomidine for the management of agitation following traumatic brain injury in the intensive care unit. METHODS: Medical records of all patients admitted to the intensive care unit of the Hôpital Sacré-Coeur de Montréal for a traumatic brain injury who received dexmedetomidine for agitation between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2017 were reviewed. Patients who received dexmedetomidine for indications other than agitation were excluded. Data on dexmedetomidine prescription practices and safety were extracted. Frequency of agitation and concomitant psychoactive medication use was explored over a period starting two days prior to the initiation of dexmedetomidine to six days after or discontinuation, whichever came first. RESULTS: We identified 41 patients in whom dexmedetomidine was initiated. Dexmedetomidine was started on median ICU day 3 (25th -75th percentiles: 2-7) and had a median treatment duration of 3 days (25th -75th percentiles: 3-6) and a mean average rate of 0.62 mcg/kg/h (SD 0.25). Although hypotension (76%) and bradycardia (54%) were common, only one patient required intervention. The proportion of patients with at least one episode of agitation decreased from 100% on day 0, to 88%, 69% and 63% on days 1, 2 and 3 of dexmedetomidine, respectively. The decrease was statistically significant difference between days 0 and 2 as well as between days 0 and 3. Concomitant use of propofol and benzodiazepines also decreased over the course of dexmedetomidine treatment. CONCLUSION: Dexmedetomidine use was safe and associated with a reduction in agitation in traumatic brain injury patients in the 96 hours following its initiation.
BACKGROUND: Behavioural disturbances such as agitation are common following traumatic brain injury and can interfere with treatments, cause self-harm and delay rehabilitation. As there is a lack of evidence on the optimal approach to manage agitation in recovering TBI patients, various pharmacological agents are used including antipsychotics, anticonvulsants and sedative agents. Among sedatives, the safety and efficacy of dexmedetomidine to control agitation in traumatic brain injury patients is not well documented. OBJECTIVE: To describe the safety, use and efficacy of dexmedetomidine for the management of agitation following traumatic brain injury in the intensive care unit. METHODS: Medical records of all patients admitted to the intensive care unit of the Hôpital Sacré-Coeur de Montréal for a traumatic brain injury who received dexmedetomidine for agitation between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2017 were reviewed. Patients who received dexmedetomidine for indications other than agitation were excluded. Data on dexmedetomidine prescription practices and safety were extracted. Frequency of agitation and concomitant psychoactive medication use was explored over a period starting two days prior to the initiation of dexmedetomidine to six days after or discontinuation, whichever came first. RESULTS: We identified 41 patients in whom dexmedetomidine was initiated. Dexmedetomidine was started on median ICU day 3 (25th -75th percentiles: 2-7) and had a median treatment duration of 3 days (25th -75th percentiles: 3-6) and a mean average rate of 0.62 mcg/kg/h (SD 0.25). Although hypotension (76%) and bradycardia (54%) were common, only one patient required intervention. The proportion of patients with at least one episode of agitation decreased from 100% on day 0, to 88%, 69% and 63% on days 1, 2 and 3 of dexmedetomidine, respectively. The decrease was statistically significant difference between days 0 and 2 as well as between days 0 and 3. Concomitant use of propofol and benzodiazepines also decreased over the course of dexmedetomidine treatment. CONCLUSION: Dexmedetomidine use was safe and associated with a reduction in agitation in traumatic brain injury patients in the 96 hours following its initiation.