Sedation and analgesia in the performance of interventional procedures

Interventional procedures can produce pain, anxiety, and physical and mental distress. Analgesia and sedation in the interventional radiology suite are given routinely during interventional procedures and allow a safe, comfortable, and technically successful procedure to be performed. Appropriate sedation decreases patient movement, patient anxiety, pain perception, and is crucial to successfully perform percutaneous interventions. A thorough understanding of the preoperative patient assessment, intraprocedural monitoring, pharmacologic characteristics of medications, postoperative care, and treatment of complications is required for the practicing interventionalist. Complications related to sedation and analgesia can occur secondary to preexisting medical conditions, incorrect drug administration, and/or inadequate patient monitoring.1,2.