Patients with mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU) often develop anxiety and agitation, sleep distuebances, and delirium. Delirium occurrence is associated with worse early and long-term outcomes. Dexmedetomidine and ketamine are recommended for sedation and analgesia in ICU patients, but each may induce side effects. The sedative effects of dexmedetomidine can help mitigate the psychiatric side effects of esketamine. Recent studies showed that dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination improved analgesia and sleep quality without increasing psychiatric side effects. This trial is designed to test the hypothesis that dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination for sedation and analgesia in ICU patients with mechanical ventilation may reduce delirium and improve respiratory recovery.
Patients with respiratory failure or other severe conditions often require non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The uncomfortable stimulation produced by mechanical ventilation may lead to anxiety and agitation of patients and adverse consequences such as ventilator asynchrony, increased oxygen consumption, stress responses, self-extubation, and potentially prolonged mechanical ventilation. The above factors, together with the ICU environment, underlying illnesses, treatment measures, and painful procedures, often result in sleep disturbances in ICU patients. Mechanical ventilation, painful stimulation, and sleep disturbances are important risk factors of delirium in ICU patients. Delirium is an acutely occurred brain dysfunction symdrome characteristized with fluctuating disturbances in attention, cognition, and consciousness, and is reported to occur in up to 80% of ICU patients with mechanical ventilation. Delirium occurrence is associated with worse outcomes, including prolonged mechanical ventilation duration, extended ICU and hospital stays, increased healthcare burden and costs, and elevated mortality risk, as well as long-term sequelae including cognitive decline, reduced quality of life, and decreased survival. Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective α2-adrenergic receptor agonist with sedative, analgesic, and anxiolytic effects. It exerts effects by activating the endogenous sleep-promoting pathways, inducing a state like non-rapid eye movement sleep. Ketamine is a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist. Esketamine, the more potent enantiomer of ketamine, has a higher affinity for the NMDA receptor and is approximately twice as potent as ketamine, with a lower incidence of adverse effects. Both dexmedetomidine and ketamine are recommended for sedation and analgesia in ICU patients. However, sedative dose dexmedetomidine is associated with bradycardia and hypotension. Even low-dose esketamine can induce psychotropic side effects such as dissociation, hallucinations, and nightmares. The sedative effects of dexmedetomidine can help mitigate the psychiatric side effects of esketamine. Recent studies showed that dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination improved analgesia and sleep quality without increasing psychiatric side effects. It is hypothesized that dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination for sedation and analgesia in ICU patients with mechanical ventilation may reduce delirium and improve respiratory recovery.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
1,508
For patients with invasive ventilation, nighttime sedation (20:00-06:00) is provided with an initial infusion rate of \[0.05×kg\] ml/h which is increased by \[0.025×kg\] ml/h every 10 min, until the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) reaches -2 to -1, maximal infusion rate reaches \[0.175×kg\] ml/h, or adverse reactions occur. Daytime sedation (06:00-20:00) is provided as above when considered necessary by the ICU physicians, with a target RASS score of -2 to +1. For patients with non-invasive ventilation (including high-flow nasal oxygenation) or without assisted ventilation, nighttime sedation (20:00-06:00) is provided with an initial infusion rate of \[0.0125×kg\] ml/h which is increased by \[0.0125×kg\] ml/h every 10 min, until the RASS reaches -1, maximal infusion rate reaches \[0.05×kg\] ml/h, or adverse reactions occur. Daytime sedation (06:00-20:00) is typically not required but is provided when considered necessary by the ICU physicians, with a target RASS score of -1 to +1.
For patients with invasive ventilation, nighttime sedation (20:00-06:00) is provided with an initial infusion rate of \[0.05×kg\] ml/h which is increased by \[0.025×kg\] ml/h every 10 min, until the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) reaches -2 to -1, maximal infusion rate reaches \[0.175×kg\] ml/h, or adverse reactions occur. Daytime sedation (06:00-20:00) is provided as above when considered necessary by the ICU physicians, with a target RASS score of -2 to +1. For patients with non-invasive ventilation (including high-flow nasal oxygenation) or without assisted ventilation, nighttime sedation (20:00-06:00) is provided with an initial infusion rate of \[0.0125×kg\] ml/h which is increased by \[0.0125×kg\] ml/h every 10 min, until the RASS reaches -1, maximal infusion rate reaches \[0.05×kg\] ml/h, or adverse reactions occur. Daytime sedation (06:00-20:00) is typically not required but is provided when considered necessary by the ICU physicians, with a target RASS score of -1 to +1.
Peking University First Hospital
Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China
Peking University International Hospital
Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China
Tianjin Medical University General Hospital
Tianjin, Tianjin Municipality, China
Incidence of delirium within 7 days
Delirium is assessed twice daily with the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) or the 3-Minute Diagnostic Assessment for Delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method (3D-CAM) during the 7-day period after enrollment or until hospital discharge. Positive result of delirium assessments at any timepoint is defined as occurrence of delirium.
Time frame: Up to 7 days after enrollment
Days alive without delirium or come during the 7-day period
Delirium is assessed twice daily with the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) or the 3-Minute Diagnostic Assessment for Delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method (3D-CAM). Coma is defined as Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (score ranges from -5 \[unarousable\] to +4 \[combative\] and 0 indicates alert and calms) of -4 or -5. Positive results at any timepoint is defined as occurrence of delirium or coma.
Time frame: Up to 7 days after enrollment
Ventilator-free days within 30 days
Mechanical ventilation includes both invasive and non-invasive ventilation, but do not include high-flow nasal oxygenation.
Time frame: Up to 30 days after enrollment
Length of stay in the ICU
Length of stay in the ICU.
Time frame: Up to 30 days after enrollment
30-day all-cause mortality
30-day all-cause mortality.
Time frame: Up to 30 days after enrollment
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