ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Conscious sedation, also known as moderate sedation, is the practice of choice recommended by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) to relieve pain and anxiety during cardiac catheterization (1). The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has defined moderate sedation as a druginduced depression of consciousness that continues to allow the patient to purposefully respond to commands and maintain airway, breathing, and circulation without mechanical or pharmacologic support (Table 6.1) (2). This level of sedation is optimal for cardiac catheterization since patient symptoms can often be the first warning of a procedural complication. In addition, by allowing patients to maintain physiologic respiratory and cardiac function, recovery time is significantly lessened. While there are general recommendations regarding the most appropriate methods to achieve this level of sedation, significant variability in practice exists across different cardiac catheterization laboratories.
