Objectives: To assess the impact of a nurse-implemented goal-directed sedation strategy on patient care and nursing practice in a pediatric cardiac ICU. Design: Quality improvement project with a pre-post interval measurement plan. Setting: Thirty-one bed pediatric cardiac ICU in a freestanding tertiary care children’s hospital. Patients: Postoperative pediatric cardiac surgery patients. Interventions: The implementation of cardiac-Randomized Evaluation of Sedation Titration for Respiratory Failure (RESTORE), a nurse-implemented goal directed strategy to improve pain and sedation management in a pediatric cardiac ICU which included daily team discussion of the patient’s trajectory of illness (acute, titration, or weaning phase), prescription of a sedation target score based on the patient’s trajectory of illness, arousal assessments, and opioid and/or sedative titration. Withdrawal Assessment Scores were used to assess and manage iatrogenic withdrawal symptoms. Measurements and Main Results: Data related to opioid and sedation use, pain and sedation scores, and the occurrence and management of iatrogenic withdrawal symptoms were reviewed on 1,243 patients during four separate time periods: one pre-implementation and three discontinuous post-implementation time intervals. Patient age and complexity were consistent across the data collection periods. Post-implementation opioids and benzodiazepines use was reduced about 50% without a concomitant increase in the use of other sedative classes. Few post-intervention patients were discharged from the pediatric cardiac ICU or to home on methadone (pediatric cardiac ICU: pre 19% to post 3%; hospital: pre 12% to post 1.3%). Documentation of pain, sedation, and withdrawal scores became more consistent and nurses reported satisfaction with their patient’s comfort management. Conclusions: The implementation of a nurse-driven goal-directed plan such as cardiac-RESTORE to manage pediatric cardiac ICU patient pain and sedation is possible, sustainable, and associated with reduced sedative and methadone use.

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Background: Opioid and sedative medications are commonly used to treat pediatric patients with congenital heart disease; however, their use is not without adverse effects. Symptoms of withdrawal can occur if the medications are discontinued abruptly or weaned too quickly. Objective: The aim of this study was to understand and describe the current management of opioid and sedative weaning in pediatric congenital heart disease patients in freestanding children’s hospitals across the United States. Methods: A Web-based survey of pediatric congenital heart centers was conducted. Survey participants were recruited from the Consortium of Congenital Cardiac Care–Measurement of Nursing Practice. Quantitative data were summarized using frequency and proportions. Qualitative data were summarized using content analysis. Results: Twelve sites participated in the survey (44% response rate). Methadone was used as a weaning medication at 100% of participating sites, lorazepam at 83% of sites, and clonidine at 75% of sites. Seventy-five percent of sites reported using a clinical assessment tool to monitor withdrawal symptoms. Twenty-five percent of sites used a standardized clinical pathway when weaning opioid and sedative medications. Eighty-three percent of sites will consider discharging a patient to complete the medication wean at home. Discussion: Weaning practices varied across sites. While some similarities were observed among sites, substantial practice variation exists. The majority of sites used a clinical assessment tool to assess for withdrawal symptoms. Few sites reported using a standardized approach to weaning patients. Discharging patients to complete an opioid or sedative wean at home was common practice. Opportunities exist for the development of weaning practice guidelines.

Attention to the pain that occurs during treatments and procedures for pediatric patients with cancer continues to be a priority. This article describes the development of a pain effectiveness outcome measure at an academic pediatric medical center in order to inform about the implementation of quality improvement strategies and evaluate the effect of these pain interventions within the hospital setting.