Assessment of Analgesics and Sedatives in Mechanically Ventilated Patients With COVID-19

The analgesic and sedation requirements in critically ill patients with COVID-19 have yet to be described. There are various factors that are likely affecting the agents being utilized for analgesia and sedation in these patients with little evidence to guide therapy. In addition, such non-evidence based practice may be leading to an increased incidence of iatrogenic withdrawal. The investigators seek to determine the analgesia and sedation requirements in critically ill patients with COVID-19 and report practice patterns that may be associated with iatrogenic withdrawal in these patients. The contribution of the proposed research will be an understanding of current analgesia and sedation use and weaning in critically ill patients with COVID-19, and practice patterns that may indicate the occurrence of iatrogenic withdrawal.

This contribution will be significant because it will determine how analgesics and sedatives are being utilized in critically ill patients with COVID-19, and how their use may be leading to additional morbidity. Data from this initial trial will help support further research on the actual incidence of iatrogenic withdrawal in this patient population. Together such research will help inform practice patterns and therapy recommendations in advance of the next SARS-related outbreak.

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Key information

Conditions

COVID-19 ARDS Chemically-Induced Disorders Coronaviridae Infections Coronavirus Infections Critical Illness Disease Attributes Iatrogenic Disease Infections Lung Diseases Mental Disorders Nidovirales Infections Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Pneumonia Pneumonia, Viral RNA Virus Infections Respiratory Tract Diseases Respiratory Tract Infections Substance Withdrawal Syndrome Substance-Related Disorders Virus Diseases Withdrawal Syndrome

Age range

18 year–90 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Wilkes University

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 18701, United States

About this study

The design for this study will be an international retrospective cohort trial. The investigators plan to recruit multiple sites to participate in the study through the use of professional organization list serves and contacts from an ongoing trial being conducted by the investigators (i.e. ALERT-ICU), as well as direct outreach to colleagues and associates of members of the investigator team. Data collection will be performed retrospectively utilizing the electronic medical record system at each participating institution. All data collection will be performed using REDCap, a secure web-based data collection tool that meets the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) requirements for protection of patient health information. Data collected will include various site and patient demographic data. The investigators will also collect opioid and sedative doses, durations of therapy, weaning of doses, and withdrawal assessments.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

All patients 18 years of age and older admitted to an adult intensive care unit who require invasive mechanical ventilation will be included if they meet one of the following additional criteria: 1. diagnosed with ARDS on or after January 1, 2019; 2. tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted on or after January 1, 2021. Consecutively admitted patients who meet inclusion criteria will be considered for enrollment.

Exclusion criteria

Patients who meet any of the following criteria will be excluded: surgical and trauma patients, admitted for cardiac arrest, admitted with a primary acute vascular event (e.g. ACS, stroke, etc.), brain injury and/or cerebral edema (e.g. traumatic brain injury, intracranial hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, etc.), admitted for status epilepticus, pregnant, receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support.

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

Difference in cumulative analgesia and sedation dose in appropriate units (e.g. mg, micrograms, etc.)

Time frame: Three months

The primary outcome will be the difference in cumulative analgesia and sedation dose 72 hours after ICU admission of patients with ARDS compared to patients with COVID-19. The investigators will compare the groups for differences in types of agents utilized, doses (both average and cumulative) and duration. An additional primary outcome will be the differences in analgesia and sedation weaning requirements between patients with ARDS and COVID-19. Specifically, the investigators will evaluate dosing of analgesics and sedatives during weaning and the use of adjuvant agents (e.g. clonidine) and alternate routes of administration (e.g. oral benzodiazepines).

Secondary outcomes

Patterns of analgesia and sedation weaning as determined by a protocol

Time frame: Three months

As a secondary outcome the investigators will evaluate patterns of analgesia and sedative weaning that may indicate the occurrence of withdrawal.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Wilkes University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2022
Primary completion: 2022
Study completion: 2022
First posted: Apr 20, 2022
Registry last updated: Apr 26, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

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