Sedation Health Article

Definition

Sedation is the act of calming by administration of a sedative. A sedative is a medication that commonly induces the nervous system to calm.

Purpose

The process of sedation has two primary intentions. First, sedation is recommended to allow patients the ability to tolerate unpleasant diagnostic or surgical procedures and to relieve anxiety and discomfort. Second, sedation for uncooperative patients may expedite and simplify special procedures that require little or no movement. Additionally, sedation is often desirable to diminish fear associated with operative procedures. Sedation is typically used for common diagnostic tests that require prolonged immobilization such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed axial tomography (CAT) scanning. Some cases that require sedation may also necessitate the use of analgesics to decrease pain associated with a procedure or test.

Precautions

Benzodiazepines (common sedative medication) have a cumulative effect. This means that if the patient has not had time to metabolize the previous dose and ingests more, then the sedative effect may increase. Because of these additive effects these medications taken with other sedatives or alcohol (also a sedative hypnotic drug) may increase chances for accidental death. In general, most of the medications that induce sedation may alter breathing and cardiac stability. In patients with preexisting lung and/or heart disease, these medications should be monitored closely or not prescribed.