Patient education: Sedation for procedures in adults (The Basics)

What is sedation? — Sedation means getting medicines to make you relax and feel sleepy. It can be used for different medical procedures and minor surgeries. With sedation, you might not remember the procedure when it is over. The staff monitors your heart rate and breathing carefully when you have sedation.

There are different levels of sedation. The doctors, dentists, and anesthesia providers will decide which type of sedation is best for the procedure you are having:

●For most sedation, you will not remember the procedure. Sometimes, you might be able to talk, answer questions, and breathe on your own. This is also known as "conscious sedation."

●With deeper sedation or general anesthesia, you are not able to talk or answer questions. You might need help to breathe.

●Sometimes, your doctor will give you medicine to help you relax, but you will remember the procedure. Some doctors will call this "minimal sedation." Talk to your doctor if you are worried about remembering the procedure.

Sedation is often combined with pain control if the procedure is expected to cause pain. The doctor might inject numbing medicines or give you pain medicine through your IV. (An IV is a thin tube that goes into a vein.)

When is sedation used? — Doctors use sedation to help make you more comfortable when they do a procedure. Examples of procedures that might be done with sedation include:

●Minor surgeries or procedures like taking a tissue sample, lining up the ends of a broken bone, or some types of cosmetic surgery

●Colonoscopy – This test looks at the lining of the colon.

●Dental surgery such as placing an implant or taking out an impacted tooth

●Endoscopy – This test uses a special scope to look inside the body.

●Bronchoscopy – This test uses a special scope to look inside the airways.

How do I prepare for sedation? — The doctor or nurse will tell you if you need to do anything special to prepare. Before your procedure, your doctor will do an exam and ask about your health history. You will also get information about:

●Eating and drinking before your procedure – In some cases, you might need to "fast" before your procedure. This means not eating or drinking anything for a period of time. In other cases, you might be allowed to have liquids until a short time before the procedure. Whether you need to fast, and for how long, depends on the procedure you are having and when you need to have it.

●What help you will need after having sedation – You will need someone else to bring you home. You might need someone to stay with you for some time while you recover.

Ask the doctor or nurse if you have questions or if there is anything you do not understand.

What happens during sedation? — When it is time for the procedure:

●You will get an IV. This can be used to give you fluids and medicines.

●You will get sedation medicines. The doctor might also give you medicines to help with pain.

●The doctors and nurses will monitor your breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate during the procedure.

●After the procedure, the sedation will slowly wear off, and you will become more alert.

What happens after sedation? — After your procedure, the staff will watch you closely as your sedation wears off.

As you recover, it is common to feel drowsy, lightheaded, unsteady, or confused for up to 24 hours. You might also feel nauseous or vomit.

What are the risks of sedation? — Your doctor will talk to you about all of the possible risks, and answer your questions. Possible risks include:

●Low blood pressure

●Nausea or vomiting

●Temporary breathing problems

How do I care for myself at home? — Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure that you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

For the first 24 hours after sedation:

●Do not drive or operate heavy or dangerous machinery.

●Do not make any important decisions or sign any important papers.

●Do not drink alcohol of any kind.

●Take extra care when moving about. You are at a higher risk of falling.

When should I call the doctor? — Call for emergency help right away (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1) if:

●You start having severe trouble breathing or swallowing.

Call for advice if:

●You feel so tired that you cannot stay awake.

●Your speech is slurred, and others cannot understand you.

●You have nausea and vomit more than 3 times after going home.

●You start to feel dizzy, lightheaded, or weak.

More on this topic

Patient education: Anesthesia (The Basics)
Patient education: Moderate or deep sedation for procedures in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Fasting before surgery (The Basics)
Patient education: Questions to ask if you are having surgery or a procedure (The Basics)