Sedation involves temporarily reducing the consciousness of a patient before medical procedures that cause pain, discomfort, or fear to the patient begin. Sedation requires the use of analgesics drugs that relieve pain administered at the same time with sedatives. You must understand that there is a difference between sedation and general anesthesia. For sedation, you have a spectrum of what is happening. However, for general anesthesia, you are completely unconscious.
Various Levels Of Sedation
There are various levels of sedation. They include minimal sedation. At this level, you feel more relaxed and drowsy. There are minimal effects on your body's sensation. The next level is moderate sedation. It is also called conscious sedation. Here you are semi-conscious meaning you can breathe on your own and answer to stimulations. The level of sedation that follows is dissociation. Here you feel the same as moderate sedation.
However, the brain's stimulants may not receive sensory stimuli and you become dissociated from your surroundings. However, you can still respond to stimulation. Lastly, there is deep sedation where you are actually unconscious. Nonetheless, you have a purposeful response to recurring and pain stimulation. In this case, you may need help with actions such as breathing. However, your heart functions normally.
Medications Used For Sedation
The commonly used forms of sedation include benzodiazepines which have an inhibitory impact on your central nervous system relieving your anxiety and producing sedation. These medications lack an analgesic component. Another form of medication used for sedation is inhalation agents such as nitrous oxide. They offer a rapid sedation service but last a shorter time hence used for minor dental procedures.
You should note that there is a process known as reverse sedation where reversal of anesthetic drugs takes place after a dental procedure. The common agents essential for the procedure are naloxone and flumazenil. If you are curious to learn more about sedation, ensure you contact our offices today.
Sedation involves temporarily reducing the consciousness of a patient before medical procedures that cause pain, discomfort, or fear to the patient begin. Sedation requires the use of analgesics drugs that relieve pain administered at the same time with sedatives. You must understand that there is a difference between sedation and general anesthesia. For sedation, you have a spectrum of what is happening. However, for general anesthesia, you are completely unconscious.