17/05/2026
Sedation can be more risky than general anaesthesia! There’s no airway protection or means to ventilate if the patient stops breathing.
Good monitoring is essential to catch complications as they happen. I routinely use ECG, BP, SP02 and capnography! I often see periods of apnoea with alpha 2 agonists.
Place the capnograph sampling line as close to the nostrils as possible and inside a good fitting oxygen mask (always, always provide oxygen!). You will be able to monitor respiratory rate and identify apnoea quickly even if the trace is not perfect.
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