Morphine critical care

Standardizing doses and concentrations, especially of critical care drugs such as heparin, insulin, dobu-tamine, dopamine, and morphine. 

Sedation in critical care units is used to reduce patient anxiety and improve tolerance to tracheal tubes and mechanical ventilation. Whenever possible, patients are sedated only to a level that allows them to open their eyes to verbal command oversedation is harmful. Commonly used drugs include propofol and midazolam, and opioids such as fentanyl, alfentanil, or morphine. 

After removal of the common femoral artery vascular sheath and proper hemostasis is achieved, the patient is placed on monitoring for 4-5 h and patient controlled analgesia (PCA) pump and i.v. hydration are initiated. At the end of the monitoring period and if no untoward events are noted the patient is sent to the floor. Routine nursing checks and care are adequate thereafter. P.R.N. medication should include (in addition to the morphine or fentanyl PCA pump), anti-nausea and additional pain medication for breakthrough pain. Hydration is critical not only because of the patient s NPO status prior to the procedure and possible nausea, but more importantly to mitigate the consequences of a possible tumor... 

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