Nicotine Replacement Therapy in the Intensive Care Unit

Inclusion Criteria: Any patient admitted to the intensive care unit must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for the study: * Critically ill active smoking patient * Being mechanically ventilated * Start of study product application within 48 hours after ICU admission * Expected to be mechanically ventilated for more than 48 hours after start of application of the study product Exclusion Criteria: Any patient admitted to the intensive care unit meeting one or more of the following criteria is not eligible for the study: * Patient younger than 18 years * Patient or next of kin denying research authorization * Pregnancy * Breastfeeding women * History of chronic dementia or psychosis * (Acute) neurologic disease on admission, possibly confounding study objectives (TBI, stroke, ICH/SAH, seizures, meningitis, encephalitis, intracranial tumor) * Patient receiving any form of NRT within two weeks before admission * Patient not understanding Dutch * Patient with acute myocardial infarction * Patient with severe cardiac arrhythmia * Patient with unstable or deteriorating angina pectoris * Patient with generalized acute or chronic skin diseases interfering with NRT absorption * Patient with severe hearing deficiency * Moribund patient * Patient with known hypersensibility to nicotine or components of the transdermal therapeutic system * Patient with known hypersensibility to patches * Patient participating in an other study