Can Fluctuations in Vital Signs Be Used for Pain Assessment in Critically Ill Patients with a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Table 2

Analgesics, equianalgesic doses of morphine and sedatives administered within 4 hours prior to initial and second data collections^Ψ in participants at various LOC.

	Participants involved in initial data collection; (𝑁=45)			Subsample involved in a second data collection (𝑛=13)
	Unconscious  GCS≤8; (𝑛=8)	Altered  GCS from 9–12; (𝑛=21)	Conscious  GCS≥13; (𝑛=16)	Altered GCS from 9–12; (𝑛=4)	Conscious  GCS≥13; (𝑛=9)
Analgesics
Fentanyl infusion or I/V bolus (g/h)
Administration (%)	6 (75.0%)	8 (38.1%)	—	1 (25.0%)	1 (11.1%)
Median dose (min–max)	137.50 (50.00–200.00)	100.00 (50.00–200.00)	—	125.00 (—)	25.00 (—)
Hydromorphone s/c bolus (mg)
Administration (%)	—	3 (14.3%)	3 (18.8%)	—	2 (22.2%)
Median dose (min–max)	—	1.00 (0.50–2.00)	1.00 (1.00–3.00)	—	3.00 (—)
Total equianalgesic doses of morphine administered 4 h prior to data collection (mg)
Median (min–max)	50.00 (20.00–80.00)	35.00 (2.50–80.00)	5.00 (5.00–15.00)	28.00 (—)	15.00 (10.00–15.00)
Sedatives
Diprivan infusion (mg/h)
Administration (%)	6 (75.0%)	10 (47.6%)	—	1 (25.0%)	2 (22.2%)
Median dose (min–max)	241.50 (142.00–337.00)	162.00 (31.00–399.00)	—	104.00 (—)	321.00 (192.00–450.00)
Midazolam infusion (mg/h)
Administration (%)	2 (25.0%)	3 (14.3%)	—	—	—
Median dose (min–max)	6.50 (3.00–10.00)	4.00 (3.500–5.00)	—	—	—
Diazepam I/V bolus (mg)
Administration (%)	—	2 (9.5%)	—	—	—
Median dose (min–max)	—	15.00 (10.00–20.00)	—	—	—

ΨOf note, initial data collections were performed in all participants (𝑁=45) as they were unconscious (𝑛=8), in altered LOC (𝑛=21), or conscious (𝑛=16). A second data collection was performed in a subsample of participants (𝑛=13) as they were in altered LOC (𝑛=4) or conscious (𝑛=9) bringing the total number of data collections to 𝑛=58, of which 𝑛=8 were performed in unconscious, 𝑛=25 in altered, and 𝑛=25 in conscious participants.