Intravenous sedation in accident and emergency departments: a nationwide survey.
Anonymous questionnaires regarding the practice of intravenous sedation were sent to all accident and emergency departments in England and Wales. The response rate was 63%. Intravenous sedation was used by 94% of the departments who replied. In 19% of these departments it was administered only by middle grade or senior grade clinicians, while in the remaining 81% sedation was also administered by junior grade clinicians. Diazepam, midazolam and opioids were the most commonly used agents. The use of monitoring was variable. In 16% of the units no monitoring was used routinely. ECG monitoring was carried out by 48% of the departments, non-invasive blood pressure monitoring by 67% and pulse oximetry by 65%. Our findings indicate there is a need for guidelines regarding patient selection, the choice of drugs and the monitoring of patients.
Aslam
B H
BH
Anaesthetic Department, York District Hospital.
Woods
I
I
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D016292:Procedural Sedation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003975:Diazepam; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008874:Midazolam; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014852:Wales
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D003975:Diazepam; D008874:Midazolam