Effect of volatile sedation during mechanical ventilation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Effect of volatile sedation on spontaneous breathing during mechanical ventilation for patients with the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
IRAS ID
318537
Contact name
GUY GLOVER
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Guy's and St THomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) routinely require sedation for comfort when on a ventilator (breathing machine) with a breathing tube. Sedation is usually delivered intravenously (IV), however an alternative approach using anaesthetic 'gases' (volatile sedation), has been shown to be similarly effective and has benefits including faster wake-up and less suppression of the patient’s own breathing. Whilst there are benefits in allowing the patient to breath, there may also be disadvantages, especially when the lungs are inflamed (a condition called the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)).
Volatile sedation is already a standard therapy in the ICU. It has already been shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials and is approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
This research involves patients with ARDS and compares the effects of volatile sedation with IV sedation on the strength and effectiveness of patient’s breathing. Patients will alternate between the two treatments in sequence (called a cross-over trial), and measurements will be taken from the ventilator as well as blood tests to look at oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. This approach to the study is designed to minimise the impact of other external actors on the study results. The actual patient outcome will not be assessed as part of the research.
Patients in the ICU are critically ill and sedated and will therefore lack legal capacity to consent to the research. A standard approach to this will include consultation with someone close to the patient, or the patient’s doctor, with retrospective consent if or when patients regain capacity.
The results of this research will provide a better understanding of the effect of volatile sedation on breathing function which will support doctors to choose the best type of sedation for individual patients that maximises the benefits.
REC name
London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0304
Date of REC Opinion
19 May 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion