[citation needed] The presence of an endotracheal tube and mechanical ventilation alone are not indications of continuous sedation and coma.
Only certain conditions such as intracranial hypertension, refractory status epilepticus, the inability to oxygenate with movement, et cetera justify the high risks of medically induced comas.
These are teams that only implement medically induced comas when the possible benefits of sedation outweigh the high risks during specific cases.
Survivors of prolonged medically induced comas are at high risk of suffering from post-ICU syndrome[12] and may require extended physical, cognitive, and psychological rehabilitation.
Several studies have supported this theory by showing reduced mortality when treating refractory intracranial hypertension with a barbiturate coma.
[1] The infusion dose rate of barbiturates is increased under monitoring by electroencephalography until burst suppression or cortical electrical silence (isoelectric "flatline") is attained.
Some studies have found that barbiturate-induced coma can reduce intracranial hypertension but does not necessarily prevent brain damage.