Patient Centered Sedation Outcomes in Mechanically Ventilated ICU Patients

Mechanical ventilation is at times required when patients are hospitalized for problems relating to breathing. This process requires being intubated in which a breathing tube is placed through a patient’s airway and then connected to a ventilator. Due to the tube placement  and the various sedative medications that a patient typically receives, it has been found that there is difficulty in patient-provider communications as a result of the blocked vocal pathway. As a result, patients struggle or are unable to communicate their needs, their comfort level, and any other verbal indications. This state of inability to relay their needs can cause mental distress, particularly if the individual is intubated for over 24 hours. ​

---

The purpose of this study is to characterize the prevalence and degree of PTSD in non-traumatic mechanically ventilated patients post discharge, as well as to explore the mediating variables that affect the relationship between sedative use during ICU stay and development of PTSD.