ABSTRACT
Conscious sedation, also known as moderate sedation, is the practice of choice during cardiac catheterization to relieve pain and anxiety, as recommended by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI). The opiates, such as morphine, fentanyl, and meperidine, are commonly used for analgesia in moderate sedation practice in combination with local anesthesia. A preprocedure assessment is an important part of ensuring that safe and effective sedation therapy is applied to each patient situation, as many factors can put the patient at risk for adverse reaction to sedation. The ASA focuses on four key areas of monitoring for moderate sedation: level of consciousness, pulmonary ventilation, oxygenation, and hemodynamics. Oral antihistamines, especially diphenhydramine, have been used since the early 1960s as sedative medication for cardiac catheterization. Opioid analgesics may also be utilized in combination with benzodiazepines to achieve adequate sedation.
