This survey was designed to provide national data on sedation practices in Greece.
To identify sedation practices among ICU nurses and to determine barriers towards use of sedation protocols.
Despite advances in protective ventilation, sedation practices, and early mobilization, 10 20% of patients experience extubation failure [3].
However, our aim in this study was to address the perception of sedation practices among intensivists, not the actual practices.
Sedation assessment through RASS score was not always carried out, representing the opportunity to remind good sedation practices and use of validated scale to adjust dosage.
Our study therefore differs from the observational study of sedation practices conducted in 2007 with patient-based data collected in 44 French ICUs [26].
In the present study, we conducted a survey of French ICUs to determine the perceived sedation practices in patients that require mechanical ventilation (invasive ventilation).
Sedation practices in the intensive care unit have evolved from deep sedation and paralysis toward lighter sedation and better pain management.
The questionnaire comprised four domains: sleep characteristics of the critically ill; sleep and sedation practices; non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions used to improve sleep; and the autonomy and influence of nurses on sleeping practices in the ICU.
Objectives Our aim was to describe sleep management and sedation practices of adult ICUs in ten countries and to evaluate roles and responsibilities of the ICU staff in relation to key sleep and sedation decisions.
Furthermore, the respondents in our survey represent a broad range of ICU characteristics (university and nonuniversity hospitals; medical, surgical, and mixed ICUs; large and small ICUs; and various annual ICU admission rates); additionally, the demographic pattern is similar to that of previous surveys of sedation practices in French ICUs [24, 25].
