Evaluation of Adherence to Pediatric Sedation Taper Protocol in General Pediatric Units

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

3-2026

Publication Title

American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy

Abstract

Purpose: Prolonged sedation in the intensive care unit setting is a very common process for patients that are either initiated on a ventilator, in extreme pain, or following a surgical procedure. Patients who have prolonged exposure to opioids and benzodiazepines are at risk for precipitation of iatrogenic withdrawal syndrome when discontinuation of sedation regimens happens abruptly. Frequently, a taper is provided to reduce the risk of iatrogenic withdrawal syndrome and is outcomes are improved when a protocol is outlined. This study seeks to evaluate adherence of the pediatric hospitalist team to the institutions’ pediatric sedation taper protocol.

Methods: This review at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital will take place from 01/01/2022-12/31/2024. Patients were identified and then retrospectively reviewed for inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients were included if they are less than 18 years of age, transferred out of the intensive care unit for greater than 24 hours, actively followed by the pediatric hospitalist service, have an active order for pediatric withdrawal assessment tools, and be initiated on the sedation taper protocol with either intravenous or enteral lorazepam, methadone, or morphine. Patients were excluded if they remain on continuous sedation infusions or transfer back into the intensive care unit for greater than 24 hours. Patients were still included if they had stopped their sedation taper and restarted it so long as they still met inclusion criteria. The primary objective will be to assess adherence to sedation taper protocol. Adherence will be measured as a percentage by totaling up the number of days that the study population was adherent to the sedation taper protocol, and dividing by the total amount of days the study population has been on sedation taper. Secondary endpoints will assess percentage of non-adherent to the protocol patients who received outpatient prescriptions to finish sedation taper, length of stay from transfer to discharge, and percentage of adherent rescue doses administered.

Volume

83

Issue

Suppl 2

First Page

S793

Comments

Midyear Clinical Meeting of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP), Dec 7-10, 2025, Las Vegas, NV

Last Page

S793

DOI

10.1093/ajhp/zxaf258

ISSN

1079-2082

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