Intravenous (IV) sedation is a pop in ofanesthesiagiven through a tube placed in a vein.
IV sedation is also known asmonitored anesthesia care(MAC), conscious sedation, or twilight sleep.
What Are the Levels of IV Sedation?
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There are different levels of sedation during monitored anesthesia care.
You may or may not be able to move around.
Your memory of the procedure may vary depending on the amount of sedation and medications used.
Sedation vs. Analgesia
The term “sedation” means being relaxed and sleepy.
“Analgesia” is the medical term for pain relief.
Typically, you will be evaluated by a healthcare provider trained in anesthesia before the procedure.
You may wish to ask whether ananesthesiologistor anurse anesthetistwill be administering anesthesia.
The medical backgrounds and medical training are different for these two types of healthcare professionals.
During IV Sedation
There is no single drug used during IV sedation.
Medicines administered via the bloodstream begin to take effect quickly, often within minutes.
Most people feel very relaxed at the start of IV sedation as the medicines begin to take effect.
Many people remember the feeling of relaxation and waking up after the procedure is over but nothing in between.
There are different levels of IV sedation, and you may or may not be awake during the procedure.
Your anesthesia team will adjust your sedation level throughout the procedure.
Other procedures may require you to be more deeply sedated.
It can provide sedation ranging from slight (relaxed and mildly sleepy) to deep sleep.
American Society of Anesthesiologists.IV/Monitored sedation.
Das S, Ghosh S.Monitored anesthesia care: An overview.J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol.
2016;69(4):31926. doi:10.4097/kjae.2016.69.4.319
U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Anesthesia.
