What is a Sedation Holiday? Defining the practice.

Managing intubated patients often requires continuous sedation to ensure comfort and ventilator synchrony. While essential, prolonged deep sedation can obscure a patient's true neurological status. This challenge led to the development of a crucial practice: the sedation holiday.

A sedation holiday, also known as a daily sedation interruption (DSI), is a deliberate and temporary cessation or significant reduction of sedative medications. The primary goal is to allow the patient to awaken from their sedated state. This allows for a comprehensive assessment of their neurological function.