2005 Finalist

Optimising sedation in critically ill patients

A new sedation system is ensuring critically ill patients in Christchurch Hospital's Intensive Care Unit have better pain control, and nursing and medical staff are finding administering sedatives both safer and easier.

It is common for patients to be over-sedated, which can mean poorer results for the patient, longer stays in intensive care and increased costs for the health system.

A small team at Christchurch Hospital drew together clinical and engineering skills to develop and implement a simple standardised method for delivering a satisfactory level of sedation.

The team developed a paper calculation for working out appropriate drug doses. This was discussed with nursing staff to make sure they had a clear understanding about how it worked.

Then they built a device, the Infuse-Rite, to provide a simple means to give patients a combination of drugs to prepare for a stressful procedure.

The Infuse-Rite has become the standard of care in managing sedation. The hospital now has 10 units and has used them on more than 600 patients for periods ranging from a few hours up to 32 days.

Canterbury District Health Board
Contact: Jan Nicholson 03 337 8780
Email: Jan.nicholson@cdhb.govt.nz