Iatrogenic opioid withdrawal syndrome presentation and considerations

The 2018 Critical Care Medicine Guidelines for Analgesia and Sedation in the ICU Good Practice Statement emphasized the importance in the treatment of pain taking precedence over sedation. Within these guidelines, a multimodal analgesia approach is standard of care in the ICU, which often includes the initiation of opioids. 1 As practice has shifted to prioritize pain management over sedation, opioids have been administered in frequent and prolonged dosages, making the critically ill patient susceptible to iatrogenic opioid withdrawal syndrome (IOWS). This article provides an overview of IOWS to alert clinicians to the diagnosis of IOWS in ICU patients.