Purpose: Conflicting data exists on the pharmacologic management of intensive care unit (ICU) delirium. This review appraises the current evidence of pharmacologic management of ICU delirium.
Materials and methods: A systematic literature search of MEDLINE and Embase was conducted to answer the population, intervention, comparison, and outcome (PICO) question of: "Does the use of a pharmacologic agent compared to standard of care or placebo improve ICU delirium in a critically ill patient population?"
Results: After application of the PICO question and the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 articles were included. Of these articles, 7 were prospective randomized controlled trials, 1 was a prospective nonrandomized controlled trial, and 5 were retrospective investigations. The included articles differed in the agents evaluated, primary outcome, and method of identifying delirium.
Conclusion: The variability of outcomes illustrates the need for a large-scale investigation to further evaluate the role of pharmacologic management of ICU delirium.
Keywords: ICU delirium; antipsychotics; pharmacologic management.