When patients undergo procedural sedation/analgesia, they enter into a sedation continuum. Several levels have been formally defined along this continuum: minimal sedation/anxiolysis, moderate sedation, deep sedation, and at the deepest level, general anesthesia. An additional and somewhat separate level in the sedation continuum is dissociative sedation, which has its own unique characteristics. Given the dynamic nature of the sedation process, a patient will move in and out of these defined levels (as well as intermediate ones) depending on the agents and dosing used, the procedures being performed, and a patient’s own unique characteristics and physiologic responses. At all times, the provider of procedural sedation/analgesia must be able to recognize the sedation levels attained by the patient and be ready to manage any potential adverse events.
Emergency Drug Kits: Pharmacological and Technical Considerations
