Nicotine and caffeine withdrawal may lead to unwanted suffering in ICU patients: Study

Jun 02, 2019

New Delhi , June 02 (ANI): A recent study has found that withdrawal of Nicotine and Caffeine can cause unwanted suffering to patients in intensive care units (ICUs), leading to unnecessary laboratory testing and diagnostic imaging such as X-rays and MRIs. The study is being discussed this year in an annual meeting, 'Euroanaesthesia' in Vienna, Austria. Several withdrawal symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headaches, and delirium can last for up to 2 weeks. Results showed that acute nicotine withdrawal substantially increases agitation (64 per cent smokers vs 32 per cent non-smokers) and the number of the tracheal tube and intravenous line displacements caused by agitation in ICU patients (14 per cent smokers vs 3 per cent non-smokers). Sudden caffeine withdrawal can lead to drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and can increase rates of ICU delirium. Caffeine benzoate has been successfully used to treat headaches but substitution in the ICU has a limited evidence base.