Observation on safety and effects of analgesic and sedative treatment in severely burned patients during shock stage

Objective To observe the safety and effects of application of analgesic and sedative drugs in severely burned patients during shock stage. Methods One hundred and eighty patients with severe burns, conforming to the study criteria, were admitted to our unit from August 2014 to August 2016. Patients were divided into analgesia and sedation group and control group according to whether receiving analgesic and sedative treatment or not, with 90 cases in each group. Patients in control group received conventional treatment, while those in analgesia and sedation group received analgesic and sedative treatment for 24 hours besides conventional treatment. Before and at drug administration hour 2, 8, 16, and 24, pain degree of patients in two groups was scored by visual analogue scale (VAS). At drug administration hour 2, 8, 16, and 24, sedation degree of patients in two groups was scored by richmond agitation sedation scale, and the success rate of sedation was calculated. Mental state of patients within 24 hours of drug administration was observed, while pulse oxygen saturation (SpO₂), respiratory rate, heart rate, and blood pressure were observed and dynamically evaluated every 2 hours. The accidental extubation, tachycardia, hypertension, hypoxia, bradycardia, hypotension, urinary retention, and respiratory depression of patients within 24 hours of drug administration were monitored and recorded. Data were processed with analysis of variance for repeated measurement, one-way analysis of variance, t test, chi-square test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and Fisher′s exact probability test. Results (1) The VAS scores of patients in two groups were close before drug administration (t=0.675, P>0.05). The VAS scores of patients in analgesia and sedation group at drug administration hour 2, 8, 16, and 24 were (3.8±0.4), (3.9±0.6), (3.9±0.5), and (3.9±0.9) points, respectively, significantly lower than (6.0±0.9), (6.0±1.2), (6.2±0.6), and (6.3±0.4) points in control group (t=0.785, 0.730, 0.805, 0.895, P<0.05). The success rate of sedation of patients in analgesia and sedation group at drug administration hour 2, 8, 16, and 24 were 91.1% (82/90), 86.7% (78/90), 93.3% (84/90), and 90.0% (81/90), respectively, significantly higher than 7.8% (7/90), 6.7% (6/90), 14.4% (13/90), and 5.6% (5/90) in control group (Z=8.035, 7.946, 8.129, 8.014, P<0.05). (2) The respiratory rate of patients in analgesia and sedation group at drug administration hour 8, 16, and 24 were (15.78±0.69), (16.08±0.59), and (16.21±0.20) times per minute, and the heart rate were (87±9), (83±7), and (76±9) times per minute, respectively, significantly lower than (16.80±0.81), (17.09±0.50), and (17.02±0.61) times per minute and (89±8), (86±7), and (85±6) times per minute in control group (t=7.655, 7.022, 6.536, -6.931, -7.053, -10.196, P<0.01). There were no statistically significant difference in SpO₂, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure before and at drug administration hour 2, 8, 16, and 24 between the two groups (t=3.417, -2.894, -6.501, -3.719, -4.573, 2.336, 3.315, 0.942, -1.583, 1.907, 1.147, -0.968, 0.931, -1.682, 1.076, P>0.05). (3) The rates of respiratory depression, hypoxia, bradycardia, urinary retention, and hypotension of patients in the two groups were close (χ²=0.310, P>0.05). The rates of hypertension, accidental extubation, and tachycardia of patients in analgesia and sedation group were significantly lower than those in control group (χ²=16.364, 5.143, 73.309, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions Proper application of analgesic and sedative drugs in severely burned patients during shock stage has good clinical effect with low incidence rates of complications.