ABSTRACT
The purpose of sedation in the A&E department is to reduce anxiety while maintaining the co-operation of the patient, in particular the ability to respond to commands. This is in contrast to the purpose of anaesthesia which is to achieve a state of unconsciousness, analgesia and muscle relaxation. All too often attempts to achieve sedation in the A&E department leave the patient in a state of unconsciousness or near unconsciousness. Sedation is facilitated by the use of techniques to achieve analgesia (local blocks, analgesic drugs or splintage). Sedation implies that the patient can maintain their own airway, anaesthesia implies that they cannot. Therefore while elective anaesthesia requires that the patient be starved for a period pre-procedure (usually 6 hours) sedation does not require pre-procedure starving.
