Latino patients with respiratory illnesses 5 times more likely to be oversedated

A recent study found that Latino patients who have been hospitalized with respiratory illnesses are five times as likely to be oversedated than their non-Latino white counterparts.

A recent study found that Latino patients who have been hospitalized with respiratory illnesses are five times as likely to be oversedated than their non-Latino white counterparts.

The survey — conducted by researchers of New York University and the University of Michigan — examined patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, across 48 different hospitals across the United States. It revealed that Latino patients are exponentially more likely than non-Latino whites to be given deep sedation while on a ventilator — a known risk factor for worse outcomes and death. The study was published earlier this month in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

According to the research, the problem of health disparities for Latino patients on ventilators is particularly worrisome because, no matter which hospitals they went to or what their condition was, Latino patients were more likely to be oversedated than the average patient across the board.

Thomas Valley, an associate professor at the UMich Medical School and a practicing ICU doctor, said that, in an ideal scenario, sedation would not be necessary for patients on ventilators due to the risk of death and other adverse side effects. However, in practice, it is often used to keep patients comfortable and cooperating with medical staff safely.

In order to assess a patient’s level of sedation, the patient must be able to communicate with the medical staff, telling them how they feel or being able to understand and execute simple tasks, like squeezing the doctor and nurse’s hand.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/latino-patients-respiratory-illnesses-oversedated-rcna140234

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