Sedation, analgesia, and anesthesia for radiologic procedures

Cardiovascular and interventional radiologic procedures often cause discomfort and anxiety. To promote patient acceptance of these procedures while facilitating radiologic evaluations, sedation, analgesia, or even anesthesia may be necessary. This review presents considerations in the management of sedation and analgesia before, during, and after the procedure. Potential adverse drug effects are discussed and emphasis is placed on patient monitoring during administration of medications. Our review points to a need for investigations of monitoring requirements and risk-benefit analysis of intravenous medication in radiologic practice. We encourage the establishment of working relationships between radiologists and anesthesiologists.