Purpose

This study aimed to determine the effect of exogenous melatonin on the number of sedative drugs and the duration of mechanical ventilation in traumatic intracranial hemorrhage patients in ICU.

Methods

This double-blind randomized clinical trial study was conducted in the ICU wards of Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran, from September 2017 to March 2018. In this study, 52 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage were selected by convenient sampling (26 patients in each group) and were randomly assigned to two groups of melatonin and control. Sedation and pain management package was applied to both groups.

Outcomes

Amount of the sedative and opioid drug; mechanical ventilation time; ICU staying time; Glasgow Coma Score; hemodynamic parameters.

Results

There was no significant difference between them in terms of demographic characteristics. Cumulative doses of morphine and mechanical ventilation time were significant in two groups. (P < 0.05) The mean length of ICU staying was not significant. Glasgow Coma Score on the 6th day was significant in two groups (P < 0.05). Diastolic blood pressure was significant between groups (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

This study presented that morphine consumption and mechanical ventilation time were significantly lower in the melatonin group than in the control. Also, rise in GCS in the melatonin group was faster in the melatonin group than in the control. The use of melatonin can be recommended for patients with ICH in the ICU for better outcomes.