Due to copyright issues, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. For the faculty to have time to process the order, the order must be received by the faculty at the latest 2 days before the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. After the public defence, please address any inquiries regarding the thesis to the candidate.
Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Professor Claus Klingenberg, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway
- Second opponent: Associate Professor Ylva Thernström Blomqvist, Uppsala University
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Associate Professor Lise Mørkved Helsingen, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Professor Per Steinar Halvorsen, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Gunnar Kristoffer Bentsen, Oslo University Hospital
Summary
This research project includes three studies that investigate Iatrogenic Withdrawal Syndrome during admissions to two Paediatric Intensive Care units in Norway. Patients who are hospitalized in these units are critically ill and are given addictive drugs, such as opioids and benzodiazepines, for prolonged periods—sometimes for several weeks. This treatment significantly increases the risk of undergoing painful withdrawal symptoms, such as agitiation, tremor, sleep disturbance and crying, during the tapering phase of the drugs.
In Study 1, we investigated the prevalence and severity of withdrawal symptoms among the patients. Study 2 involved testing an algorithm designed for the tapering of opioids and benzodiazepines. In Study 3, we explored the experiences of physicians and nurses with the use of this algorithm.
The results from Study 1 indicated a high prevalence of distressing withdrawal symptoms during the tapering phase. Study 2 showed that using a systematic algorithm with a scoring tool for drug tapering, resulted in significantly fewer withdrawal symptoms in patients. In Study 3, nurses and physicians reported that the new algorithm improved staff collaboration, and positively impacted patient care; however, its implementation requires dedicated time for adequate training.
Additional information
Contact the research support staff.