title: Monitored anesthesia care is not synonymous with low risk.
abstract: Monitored anesthesia care can lead operating room (OR) personnel, both perioperative nurses and anesthesia providers, into a sense of complacency. It is not general anesthesia, so there is no stress surrounding intubation and extubation and the patient is in control of his/her own respirations. When used properly, narcotics and sedative drugs sedate and relieve pain, but should not lead to respiratory compromise. As a result, circumstances should be under control when competent staff are present. However, because unanticipated events do happen even under the most benign-appearing occurrences, there must be a sense of vigilance by everyone in the OR as this case study relates.
authors.affiliation: Patrick AFB, Cocoa Beach FL, USA.
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Ronk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016292:Procedural Sedation / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006712:Homocystinuria / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D009719:Nurse Anesthetists / Q000523:psychology*; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D019990:Perioperative Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D013348:Subclavian Artery / Q000293:injuries*