Patients admitted to intensive care acutely ill or seriously injured are usually anxious, traumatised and in severe pain, and can sometimes be delirious or violent. Nurses routinely administer a mixture of pain killers and tranquillisers, however, sedation and analgesia for critically ill patients remains one of the most arbitrarily applied treatments in medicine. A small device developed by a group of biomedical engineers and an ICU doctor at Christchurch Hospital may help to improve the situation for patients and staff.

Brief development:

• Fitness for purpose

Outcome development and evaluation:

• Prototype development and testing

Other New Zealand Health Innovation Award projects:

• www.healthinnovationawards. co.nz