Anesthetic procedure where intravenous medication is used to help relax the patient during a procedure, without inducing total unconsciousness. Usually utilized with procedures that are anxiety-producing for the patient, such as suturing a laceration in a child or endoscopy.
A medically controlled state of depressed consciousness during which the client retains the ability to maintain a continuously patent airway and to respond appropriately to physical stimulation or verbal commands.
A method of controlling discomfort during surgery in which the patient is awake but drowsy and insensitive to pain. Conscious sedation is sometimes used alone for minor procedures. It can also be combined with regional or local anesthesia to provide additional pain control for more extensive surgery.
A minimally depressed level of consciousness during which the patient retains the ability to maintain a patent airway and respond appropriately to physical or verbal commands. This is accomplished by the use of appropriate analgesics and sedatives. This type of sedation is used for a variety of procedures, including changing of wound or burn dressings and endoscopic examinations.
In the realm of sedation, there exists a state known as moderate sedation, wherein the patient remains conscious yet experiences a profound sense of relaxation.