Determinants of intravenous conscious sedation for arteriography.
OBJECTIVE
To assess factors that determine the amount of drugs given for intravenous conscious sedation during arteriography.


METHODS
Data from 254 patients undergoing infradiaphragmatic arteriography at three institutions were evaluated. The effect of age, sex, procedure time, attending physician, and institution on drug use was assessed by analysis of variance and covariance with repeated measures. In a subset of 34 patients, pain and anxiety scores before and after medication were correlated with drug scores.


RESULTS
Institution identity and procedure time significantly affected the amount of medication used (both, P = .000). Patient's age and sex, and identity of the physician had no significant effects. While drug use was relatively constant in each institution among different staff physicians, the institutional differences prevailed when the same physicians performed procedures at different institutions. Drug deliveries did not correlate with anxiety and pain scores before or after medication.


CONCLUSIONS
Habits and philosophies of particular institutions, rather than physician guidance or patients' needs, tend to govern the use of intravenous sedatives and analgesics. There is a need for a more patient-oriented standardization of intravenous conscious sedation and analgesia.
Lang
E V
EV
Department of Radiology, The University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, Iowa City 52246, USA.
Chen
F
F
Fick
L J
LJ
Berbaum
K S
KS
D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000792:Angiography; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control; D016292:Procedural Sedation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008874:Midazolam / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control; D013997:Time Factors
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D008874:Midazolam; D005283:Fentanyl