Conscious Sedation Effective for Ambulatory Spine Procedures

Conscious sedation for spine procedures in the ambulatory setting is associated with a low rate of adverse events comparable to local anesthesia without conscious sedation, according to a Doctor's Lounge report.

The study, published in the Dec. 2011 issue of The Spine Journal, looked at 2,494 charts detailing ambulatory spine procedures to determine the rate of adverse events when using conscious sedation in the ambulatory interventional spine setting. The rate and type of adverse events were compared for patients receiving local anesthesia alone or local anesthesia with conscious sedation.

The researchers found that immediate adverse events were seen in 5.12 percent of procedures with conscious sedation and 4.82 percent of procedures with only local anesthesia. The low rate of adverse events was maintained with both approaches when established protocols were followed, according to the report.

Related Articles on Anesthesia:
Anesthesiologist Dr. Kenneth Elmassian Praises ASA for Work on Drug Shortages
20 Years of Anesthesia Advances Culminates in Nationwide Data Collection System
Somnia Names Dr. Robert Farrar Vice President of Medical Affairs

© Copyright ASC COMMUNICATIONS 2012. Interested in LINKING to or REPRINTING this content? View our policies by clicking here.