The addition of haloperidol, propofol, or midazolam to sufentanil for intravenous sedation in the intensive care unit using bispectral index.

AIM: Inadequate sedative techniques may adversely affect morbidity and mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU), and the search for the ideal sedative agent continues. Combinations of hypnotics and opiates have are commonly used for sedation. In this study, the authors aimed to assess whether or not the addition of a haloperidol, propofol, or midazolam infusion decreased the sufentanil requirements by using bispectral index (BIS).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved 60 patients in the ICU. All patients received 0.5 microg/kg sufentanil IV bolus. Immediately after, group S received 0.25 microg/kg sufentanil infusion, group SH received sufentanil infusion + haloperidol 3 mg/h infusion, group SP received sufentanil infusion + propofol 25 microg/kg/min infusion, and group SM received sufentanil infusion + midazolam 0.04 mg/kg/h infusion, for 6 hours. Average BIS values 61-80 and Ramsay Sedation Score 2-5 were kept at a range of by decreasing or increasing sufentanil levels in all groups and hourly sufentanil consumption was determined. Hemodynamic and biochemicalparameters and arterial blood gases were determined at baseline and were repeated in study hours.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in hemodynamic and biochemical parameters and arterial blood gases among the groups. Propofol, midazolam, haloperidol infusion, when added to sufentanil infusion, decreased the consumption of sufentanil in all the measured times (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: The authors aimed to determine the effects of haloperidol, propofol, or midazolam infusion when added to sufentanil infusion in a short period of time. The authors found that propofol, midazolam, and haloperidol infusion decreased the sufentanil requirements in ICU patients.