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Adult nursing
Alpha2 agonist dexmedetomidine may reduce duration of delirium in critically ill adults
  1. James Hill1,
  2. Chandbi Sange2,
  3. Andrew Clegg1
  1. 1 Health Technology Assessment Group, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, UK
  2. 2 Diabetes Research Nurse/FCA Coach, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Preston, Lancashire, UK
  1. Correspondence to James Hill, Health Technology Assessment Group, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UK; jehill1{at}uclan.ac.uk

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Commentary on: Burry L, Hutton B, Williamson DR et al. Pharmacological interventions for the treatment of delirium in critically ill adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2019:CD011749. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.

Implications for practice and research

  • Alpha2 agonist dexmedetomidine may reduce duration of delirium while Cholinesterase inhibitor rivastigmine may prolong the duration of delirium and length of intensive care.

  • Future research should ensure that important clinical outcomes are reported such as symptom management.

Context

Delirium is a multifaceted neurocognitive indication of an underlying medical condition.1

It frequently occurs in critically ill patients and can have substantial negative consequences with increased mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay.2 Uncertainty remains around the effectiveness of pharmacological interventions for the treatment of delirium within ICU.3 This Cochrane systematic review aims to examine the effectiveness of pharmacological interventions for treating delirium in critically ill adults with a confirmed or documented high risk of delirium.3 …

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Footnotes

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.