Patient Experience and Monitoring Under Conscious Sedation

What Patients Experience Under Conscious Sedation

The effects of conscious sedation vary from one person to another. The most common feelings after the procedure are relaxation and drowsiness. People under conscious sedation may feel a tingling sensation throughout the body, especially in the feet, hands, legs, and arms (Crowe & Woolley, 2022). The feeling is accompanied by sluggishness and heaviness that makes it hard to move the limbs.

A person under conscious sedation has their reflexes delayed and they may react slowly to conversation or physical stimuli. Most commonly, a person can begin laughing or smiling without any reason. Notably, while conscious sedation effects vary from person to person, anxiety, stress, and negative emotions gradually disappear.

Clinical Experience with Conscious Sedation

Side effects experienced during conscious sedation include sluggishness or feelings of heaviness, drowsiness, slow reflexes, short-term memory loss, and headache. After the procedure, the patient typically stays in the operating room for one hour being monitored for blood pressure, breathing, and heart rate.

It is essential to arrange transportation home as patients are not stable enough to drive. Some side effects such as headache and drowsiness can last for the better part of the day. Patients should avoid engaging in intense physical activities until the effects of the sedation subside.

When Patients Should Seek Medical Attention

Patients should report back to the healthcare facility if they experience:

• Respiratory depression characterized by shallow breaths and difficulty breathing
• Low oxygen levels characterized by a bluish tint to skin or lips
• Racing or abnormally slow heart rate (Jun et al., 2019)

References

• Crowe, H. L., & Woolley, S. M. (2022). Dental students' experience of conscious sedation: A qualitative review. European Journal of Dental Education, 26(1), 197-205.
• Jun, J., et al. (2019). Adverse events of conscious sedation using midazolam for gastrointestinal endoscopy. Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, 14(4), 401-406.