Papers of the Week

Pain management and sedation are important aspects in the treatment of hospitalized patients, especially those mechanically ventilated. In many hospitals, such patients are treated not only in intensive care units, but also in other wards. In the nineteen eighties, numerous studies demonstrated a wide array of misconceptions and inadequate knowledge related to commonly used sedative, analgesics and muscle relaxants which may prevent appropriate treatment. Since these publications, multiple studies have shown that appropriate sedation and analgesia are associated with improved clinical outcomes, educational programs were developed and guidelines published. Whether the personnel's knowledge kept up with these changes is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the current rate of misconceptions and knowledge gaps regarding commonly used sedative, analgesic and neuromuscular drugs.