Intravenous sedation in assisted conception units: a UK survey

Nicholas M Elkington1, Jane Kehoe, Umesh Acharya

  • 1Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth PL6 8DH, UK.

A postal questionnaire was sent to all assisted conception units (ACUs) in the UK that undertake IVF. The return rate was 62 of 74 (84%). The majority of units (84%) used intravenous (i.v.) sedation for transvaginal egg collection, whereas 16% used general anaesthesia. There was a great deal of variation in personnel present during the procedure, the use of drugs, the degree of monitoring and the availability of emergency drugs. Most units titrate an i.v. benzodiazepine and i.v. opiate manually, usually midazolam and fentanyl, respectively. This audit demonstrates the wide variation in current UK practice and highlights the need for the adoption of national guidelines for safe use of i.v. sedation in ACUs.

Related Concept Videos

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview01:24

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview

Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
In Vitro Fertilization01:24

In Vitro Fertilization

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a form of assisted reproductive technology where an egg is fertilized with sperm in a controlled laboratory environment before transferring the resulting embryo into the uterus. This process is designed to help individuals and couples experiencing difficulties conceiving.
The IVF process begins with ovarian stimulation, during which reproductive endocrinologists prescribe hormonal medications to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs instead of the single...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia01:29

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia

Epidural anesthetics are administered in the fat-filled epidural space, the outermost part of the spinal canal. This technique is commonly employed for pain management and anesthesia during lower abdomen and pelvis surgeries or labor and delivery.
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...