Sedation in non-invasive ventilation: do we know what to do (and why)?

Table 3 Reported dosages of sedatives administered in studies of sedation in NIV (compiled from Scala[9])

Drug	No. of patients	Dosage	Sedation target range
Dexmedetomidine	41	1 μg/kg (bolus); 0.2-0.7 μg/kg/h (infusion)	RSS 2-3; RASS 2-4; BIS >85
Midazolam	41	0.05 mg/kg (bolus); 0.05-0.1 mg/kg/h (infusion)	RSS 2-3; RASS 2-4; BIS >85
Remifentanil	38	0.025-0.1 μg/kg/min (infusion)	RSS 2-3
Propofol	43	0.4 μg/mL (target serum concentration; step-down to 0.2 μg/mL)	OAAS/S 3-4

The information in this Table is derived from references 10-17. See also Table 2 of this review.
BIS, bispectral index; OAAS/S, Observer’s Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale, RASS, Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale; RSS, Ramsey Sedation Scale.

ISSN: 2049-6958