Clinical studies on the relationship of the short duration of use of midazolam with the occurrence of delirium in icu patients with mechanical ventilation

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the short duration of use of midazolam and the incidence of delirium in ICU patients with mechanical ventilation. Patients in the ICU ward, who were continuously sedated and were under mechanical ventilation, were selected and enrolled into the study and divided into two groups: observation group, patients continuously sedated with midazolam; reference group, patients continuously sedated with propofol. Sufentanyl was used for analgesia for both groups. The information recorded from patients during sedation were as follows: adverse reactions (such as hypotension, bradycardia and nausea), onset time of sedatives, time to reach the optimal level of sedation, total duration of sedation, time to spontaneous eye opening, number of delirium cases, ICU length of stay, and occurrence of death within 28 days. The difference in the incidence of delirium and adverse reactions, ICU length of stay, and mortality in 28 days between the observation and reference groups was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). However, time to spontaneous eye opening was longer in the observation group (p < 0.05). The onset effect time of sedatives was slightly longer in the observation group, compared with the reference group (p < 0.05). The difference in the time to reach the optimal level of sedation between these two groups was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The incidence of delirium was similar between the observation and reference groups.