To evaluate the association and clinical agreement between the State Behavioral Scale (SBS) and the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) in mechanically ventilated children in the PICU.
Key Findings:
Strong positive correlation between RASS and SBS scores (r = 0.857, 95% CI: 0.841–0.873, p < 0.001).
Good agreement demonstrated by linear weighted kappa (weighted kappa = 0.821, 95% CI: 0.802–0.840, p < 0.001).
64.7% of nurses found RASS more convenient and faster to use, while 54.9% considered it more reflective of clinical status.
Interpretation:
RASS showed good clinical agreement with SBS in mechanically ventilated children and may serve as a practical alternative for sedation assessment in the PICU.
Limitations:
Retrospective design may limit causality and introduce biases.
Survey lacked reliability and validity testing, which may affect the generalizability of nurse feedback.
Conclusion:
RASS may be an efficient alternative for sedation assessment in the PICU, contingent on standardized training and implementation procedures.
