ABSTRACT
Any medical, nursing or surgical intervention must be performed in the best interests of the patient. This means that the healthcare professional must use their judgement to decide whether the procedure is more likely to benefi t than harm the patient. Key information that the healthcare professional needs to acquire before they can make this assessment includes the patient’s state of health, and how this may affect or be affected by the proposed treatment. Therefore a central skill for the sedationist is the ability to assess the patient’s suitability for undergoing the proposed treatment. It is in no one’s interest for a patient to undergo a successful procedure from which they have no chance of surviving to get benefi t.
