Medically Induced Coma

[SarahLovesNovember, BSN, RN]

I have a question. As a nurse anesthetist, are you able or have you heard of an NA able to perform a medically induced coma in a patient that it was ordered for? Or can only an MD perform this?

Thanks!

[suzanne4, RN]

CRNAs do not give orders in the ICU for this. It is normally done by the provider that is caring for the patient in the ICU setting.

The patient must be ventilated as a start, and this is used quite bit for a number of reasons. We use barb comas for neuro-surg. patients to give the brain time to rest and recover. Propofol is used to sedate a patient as well as a number of other drugs that are used in this case.

I am moving this thread to the ICU forums where it is more appropriate as it is not something that is usually done by the CRNA.

[sicushells, RN]

Like suzanne4 said, CRNAs don't really practice in the ICU. When they bring patients over to us after surgery, they might help out in a code situation, but only as an extra set of hands.

The intensivists would usually be the ones to write for phenobarbital/propofol/etc., which the RN would only hang after the patient was intubated. So... MD orders it, RN does it.