ABSTRACT
A thorough understanding of the drugs that can be used for sedation, includ ing their usual dosage, their safety profi le, and their common interactions and side-effects, is essential to ensure patient safety. The seda tionist must also understand the difference between drugs that are primarily used as sedatives, and those that are usually given for other purposes but which also have sedative side-effects. The aim of this chapter is to provide an introduction to the pharmacology of sedative medications, as well as describing some basic but important pharmacological principles.
