The richmond agitation-sedation scale (rass)- translation and reliability testing in a swedish intensive care unit
Author
Summary, in English
Background: The awareness concerning adequate sedation in mechanical ventilated patients has increased in recent years. The use of a sedation scale, to continually evaluate the patientfs response to sedation, may promote earlier extubation and subsequently have a positive effect on the intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay. The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) provides ten well-defined levels divided into two different segments, including criteria for levels of sedation and agitation. Previous studies have showed strong reliability and validity of the RASS. The aim of this study was to translate the RASS into Swedish and to test the inter-rater reliability of the scale in a Swedish intensive care unit.Methods: A translation of the RASS from English into Swedish was made, including back translation, critical review and pilot testing. The inter-rater reliability testing was conducted in a general ICU at a University Hospital in the south of Sweden, including 15 patients mechanically ventilated and administered sedative agents. Forty in-pair assessments using the Swedish version of the RASS were performed and the inter-rater reliability was tested using weighted kappa (ƒÈ) statistics (linear weighting). Result: The translation of the RASS was successful and the Swedish version was found to be satisfactory and applicable in the ICU. When tested for inter-rater reliability, the weighed „{ value was 0.86.Conclusion: This study indicates that the Swedish version of the RASS is applicable with very good inter-rater reliability, suggesting that the RASS can be useful for sedation assessment of patients mechanically ventilated in Swedish general ICUs.
Department/s
Publishing year
2009
Language
English
Document type
Student publication for Master's degree (one year)
Topic
- Medicine and Health Sciences
Keywords
- sedation scale, the RASS, mechanical ventilation, inter-rater reliability testing
Supervisor
- Karin Samuelson