They help prevent disabilities and facilitate rehabilitation as soon as possible. Nutritionists are involved in calculating the nutritional needs of the critically ill patient and monitoring the nutritional balance on an ongoing basis. Pastoral care workers provide emotional and spiritual support for patients and family members of all denominations. Back to top Pain Control and Sedation Comfort of ICU patients is a major goal. The two most commonly used medications used for patient comfort are pain medication and sedation.
Physicians order the lowest amount necessary to achieve the desired effect.
Patients are continuously assessed for adequate pain control or level of sedation. The sedation and pain medications may make patients less responsive, and at times, they may be totally unresponsive. Although this may be disconcerting to families, it is important to have patients adequately sedated for necessary care to be administered. As patients recover and the medications are decreased, the ability to respond appropriately will return. Local anesthesia causes a loss of sensation in the anesthetized area.