Use of the bispectral index to monitor anaesthesia

The Impact of Bispectral Index Monitoring on Rates of Propofol Administration

The purpose of this article is to examine the efficacy of Bispectral Index (BIS) monitoring as a tool for adjusting the amount of propofol patients receive to maintain a safe and adequate level of sedation in a neurocritical care setting. The BIS monitor is utilized as an adjunct for anesthesia monitoring in the operating room setting and is currently being investigated as a tool for objective sedation monitoring in the critical care setting. 1-6 Sedation is discussed in terms of patient safety and comfort. A secondary data analysis was used to test the hypothesis that BIS monitoring provides a more objective form of sedation assessment that will lead to a decrease in overall rates of propofol administration and fewer incidences of oversedation. Data were abstracted from a quality improvement study of propofol use adjusted to BIS values in patients whose sedation levels were previously adjusted to a goal Ramsay score. The results suggest that there are potential benefits to incorporating BIS into routine sedation assessment in the neurocritical care setting.