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. 2018 Jun 7;8(1):70.
doi: 10.1186/s13613-018-0399-1.

The safety and efficacy of nicotine replacement therapy in the intensive care unit: a randomised controlled pilot study

Ben de Jong  1 , Anne Sophie Schuppers  2 , Arriette Kruisdijk-Gerritsen  2 , Maurits Erwin Leo Arbouw  3 , Hubertus Laurentius Antonius van den Oever  2 , Arthur R H van Zanten  4
Affiliations

The safety and efficacy of nicotine replacement therapy in the intensive care unit: a randomised controlled pilot study

Ben de Jong et al. Ann Intensive Care. .

Abstract

Background: Studies evaluating nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to prevent nicotine withdrawal symptoms in ICU patients have yielded conflicting results. We performed a randomised controlled double-blind pilot study to assess the safety and efficacy of NRT in critically ill patients. Mechanically ventilated patients admitted to two medical-surgical intensive care units and smoking more than 10 cigarettes per day before ICU admission were enrolled in this study. Participants were randomised to transdermal NRT (14 or 21 mg per day) or placebo until ICU discharge or day 30. Smoking status was confirmed by the biomarkers serum cotinine and urinary NNAL. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality. Among secondary endpoints and post hoc endpoints, 90-day mortality, safety, time spent without delirium, sedation and coma, and patient destination at day 30 were addressed.

Results: We enrolled 47 patients. No differences were found between NRT and control group patients concerning 30-day mortality (9.5 vs. 7.7%, p = 0.84) and 90-day mortality (14.3 vs. 19.2%, p = 0.67). The number of serious adverse events was comparable between groups (NRT: 4, control: 11, p = 0.13). At day 20, average time alive without delirium, sedation and coma was 16.6 days among NRT patients versus 12.6 days among control patients (p = 0.03). At day 30, more NRT group patients were discharged from the ICU or hospital compared with controls (p = 0.03).

Conclusions: NRT did not affect mortality or the number of (serious) adverse events compared with placebo. Time alive without delirium, sedation and coma at day 20 in NRT patients was longer than in control patients. An adequately powered randomised controlled trial to further study safety and efficacy of NRT in ICU patients seems feasible and is warranted. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01362959, registered 1 June 2011.

Keywords: Agitation; Cotinine; Delirium; NNAL; Smoking; Withdrawal.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
30-Day and 90-day mortality comparing nicotine replacement therapy and placebo group. NRT nicotine replacement therapy
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Patient destinations at day 30 and day 90 comparing nicotine replacement therapy and placebo group. Data are presented as numbers. ICU intensive care unit, NRT nicotine replacement therapy
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Patients alive without delirium and without sedation or coma comparing nicotine replacement therapy and placebo group. Data presented as the percentage of time patients were alive without delirium and without sedation or coma (RASS ≥ − 3). NRT nicotine replacement therapy
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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