Benzodiazepines are one of the leading causes of delirium. These drugs are already falling out of favor in critical care settings for other reasons; they are not easily titratable, and research suggests they can prolong a patient’s time on mechanical ventilation by an average of about two days as well as time in the ICU by an average of more than 1.5 days. Some of the variation in study results may have to do with the different ways that benzodiazepines are given—from the specific drug in the class to its dose, duration of use, and whether it’s given as a drip or bolus.

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