Dr. Gomes presents today’s Morning Report!
PROCEDURAL SEDATION
Definition:
-technique of administering a sedative or dissociative agent along with analgesia to induce a state that allows patient to tolerate unpleasant procedures while maintaining adequate spontaneous cardiorespiratory function
Complications:
-oversedation, respiratory depression/arrest, hypoxia, hypotension, prolonged awakening, agitation, nausea/vomiting, tachycardia, bradycardia
Common errors:
-delayed recognition of respiratory depression and respiratory arrest
-inadequate monitoring
-inadequate resuscitation
3 Stages to procedural sedation:
- Initial pre-sedation evaluation
- Sedation during the procedure
- Post-procedural recovery
Pre-Sedation evaluation:
-History: allergies, adverse reactions to prior anesthesia/sedative agents, h/o intubation/difficult intubation, pulmonary disease, cardiac disease, hepatic/renal failure, etc.
-ABCs: Mallampati
-GI: last meal (aspiration risk…something to note but usually have no control of this in ER setting)
Sedation during procedure:
-Monitoring
- 2 persons (at least)- someone to watch the patient throughout entire sedation/procedure process- chest rise, apnea, respiratory depression, emesis, hypersalivation, monitors. Someone to push medications and perform procedure
- Pulse oximetry
- Note- there is a lag between hypoventilation and a drop in O2 sats
- Capnography
- offers breath by breath measure of RR and CO2 exchange
- Earliest indicator of airway or respiratory compromise
- EKG monitor
- Vital signs- at least q5 min
- IV fluids
-Equipment
- Airway/Intubation/resuscitation
- Suction, BVM, ET tubes, ETCO2 detector, Miller/Mac, O2, back-up
- Fluids
- Drug reversal agents
- IV
- Supplemental O2? (some use some don’t)
- Interferes with ability to use low pulse ox readings as an early warning device for hypoventilation as hyperoxygenated patients will desat only after prolonged apnea
Post procedure recovery:
-alert and oriented at patient’s baseline
-return to age appropriate baseline
-stable vitals
Medications:
-Ideal properties
- Easily titratable
- Fast onset
- Short duration OR
- Readily reversible
Drug | Clinical Effects | Adult Dose | Time to onset | Duration | Comments |
Midazolam | Anxiolytic, motion control, sedative
No Analgesia |
Start with 1mg and titrate up to max 5mg | 2-3 min | 45-60 min | -flumazenil for reversal |
Etomidate | Sedation, motion control, anxiolytic
No Analgesia |
0.1mg/kg. Can repeat for optimal sedation | <1 min | 5-15 min | -no reversal agent |
Propofol | Sedation, motion control, anxiolysis
No Analgesia |
1mg/kg (start low and go slow) | <1 min | 5-15 min | -no reversal agent
-half dose when combined with ketamine |
Fentanyl | Analgesia | 50 ug (repeat q3min for optimal pain control) | 2-3 min | 30-60 min | -naloxone for reversal
Reduce dose if used in combination with midazolam |
Ketamine | Analgesia, dissociation, amnesia, motion control | 1mg/kg | 1 min | 15-60 min | -no reversal
-push slowly -half dose when combined with propofol |
Source: Roberts and Hedges, Clinical Procedure in Emergency Medicine, 5th ed, 2010
Jay Khadpe MD
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