Sedation

Sedation is a medical procedure involving administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure, such as endoscopy, vasectomy, or minor surgery with local anaesthesia.

Sedation can also be used in dentistry for reconstructive surgery, removal of impacted wisdom teeth, or high-anxiety patients. Sedation methods in dentistry include inhalation sedation (using nitrous oxide), oral sedation, and IV (intravenous) sedation. Inhalation sedation is also sometimes referred to as Relative Analgesia.

Airway obstruction, apnoea and hypotension are not uncommon during sedation and require the presence of health professionals who are suitably trained to detect and manage these problems.

Sedation scales are used in medical situations in conjunction with medical history to assess the degree of sedation in patients to avoid under-sedation (where the patient would experience pain or distress) and over-sedation (where the risk of side effects such as supression of breathing might lead to death). Typically, levels are agitation, calm, responsive to voice only, to shaking only, to pain only and no response.

Examples include MSAT (Minnesota Sedation Assessment Tool) and the Ramsay Scale (Ramsay Et Al 1974)