ABSTRACT
Oxygen supply As the most common dangerous complication that can arise from sedation is likely to be an airway problem resulting in hypoxia, it is recommended that patients undergoing sedation receive oxygen-supplemented air. It is also possible that a sudden deterioration in the patient’s underlying condition may warrant urgent intervention, including an increase in the amount of oxygen administered, or a change in the way that it is given. The sedation environment must therefore include a reliable supply of oxygen, and various means of delivering that supply safely to the patient. Some problems that have arisen with regard to oxygen supply are described in Box 4.2.
