TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Neuromuscular Blocking Agents A1 - JURADO, LESLY A1 - ALLISON, TERESA A. A1 - GULBIS, BRIAN A1 - FARRINGTON, ELIZABETH A2 - Cohen, Henry PY - 2015 T2 - Casebook in Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Drug Dosing AB - Approximately 80 percent of critically ill intensive care patients require mechanical ventilation, thus administration of a one-time-only dose of a neuromuscular blocking agent (NMBA) is common. They are used to facilitate endotracheal intubation as they prevent laryngospasm and keep the patient from resisting the procedure. These agents should not be used, however, if the normalcy of the airway and the ability to successfully accomplish bag-mask ventilation and endotracheal intubation are questionable. Once intubated, only 1 percent to 15 percent of ICU patients are treated with continuous infusion or scheduled NMBAs (1%, surgical ICU; <10% medical ICU; ~15% trauma and pediatric ICU).1 Aggressive use of analgesia and sedation is essential initially, and NMBAs are reserved for patients who fail to meet desired goals despite maximum sedative therapy. The clinical practice guideline for sustained neuromuscular blockade published by the Society of Critical Care Medicine states that “NMBAs should be used in an adult patient in an ICU to manage ventilation, manage increased ICP, treat muscle spasms, and decrease oxygen consumption ONLY when all other means have been tried without success.”2 SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/04/19 UR - accesspharmacy.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1112258017 ER -