Adherence to Sedation Protocol Recommendations in Intubated ICU Patients

Sedation titration in PICUs frequently deviates from protocol recommendations, leading to missed opportunities for active titration. Given the well-documented risks of prolonged sedation, including neurodevelopmental impact, iatrogenic withdrawal, and delirium, as well as the evidence that protocols diminish sedative exposure, improving adherence to sedation protocols is a key target for quality improvement. Future work should focus on identifying barriers to adherence and developing interventions, such as clinical decision support tools, to enhance compliance with evidence-based sedation management.