PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Annop Piriyapatsom AU - Edward A Bittner AU - Jessica Hines AU - Ulrich H Schmidt TI - <span hwp:id="article-title-1" class="article-title">Sedation and Paralysis</span><span hwp:id="article-title-107" class="sub-article-title">Discussion</span> AID - 10.4187/respcare.02232 DP - 2013 Jun 01 TA - Respiratory Care PG - 1024--1037 VI - 58 IP - 6 4099 - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/58/6/1024.short 4100 - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/58/6/1024.full AB - Sedation is used almost universally in the care of critically ill patients, especially in those who require mechanical ventilatory support or other life-saving invasive procedures. This review will focus on the sedation strategies for critically ill patients and the pharmacology of commonly used sedative agents. The role of neuromuscular blocking agents in the ICU will be examined and the pharmacology of commonly used agents is reviewed. Finally a strategy for rational use of these sedative and neuromuscular blocking agents in critically ill patients will be proposed. Discussion