Modafinil for Wakefulness in the Critical Care Units: A Literature Review and Case Series including COVID-19 Patients at a Tertiary Care Saudi Hospital

Cognitive improvement after critical illness is complex. Neuro-stimulants are used to speed up physical and mental processes through the increase in arousal, and wakefulness. In this case series, we reviewed the literature and described the effect of modafinil for wakefulness in a cohort of adult patients admitted to our COVID and non-COVID intensive care unit (ICU) between January 2017 and June 2020. A total of 8 patients included; 3 admitted to COVID-19, 4 surgical, and 1 transplant ICU. Obstructive sleep apnea was noted in 2 (25%), 2 patients (25 %) had an initial neuroimaging that showed hemorrhagic stroke, and 1 (12.5%) showed ischemic stroke with hemorrhagic transformation. Modafinil 100-200 mg daily was started for a median duration of 4 days and the median initiation time in relation to ICU admission was 11 (IQR 9-17) days. Glasgow coma Scale improvement was noted on 5 patients (62.5%). The median duration of mechanical ventilation was 17.5 (IQR 15-31.75) days, and the median ICU stay was 28.5 (IQR 20.25-48) days. All-cause mortality rate was 25 % at 28 days and 62.5 % at 90 days. Modafinil prevented tracheostomy in 1 COVID-19 patient. No significant adverse drug reactions were documented. In our case series, we described our experience for modafinil use for wakefulness in ICU ventilated patients including COVID-19 patients. Based on our observations, the known effects of modafinil, and its safety profile, it holds the potential to facilitate recovery from cognitive impairment. Larger studies are warranted to fully evaluate its role for this indication.