Testing the Feasibility of Patient Controlled Sedation for Ventilated ICU Patients

Mechanical ventilation (MV) is the most frequently used life-support modality in intensive care units (ICUs). To reduce anxiety, stress and promote tolerance of MV, nurses frequently administer a variety of sedative medications to their patients based on subjective observations. The investigators hypothesize that patient-controlled sedation, compared to clinician-directed sedation, will decrease sedative exposure while decreasing patient anxiety during the episode of mechanical ventilation.