1.866.406.6787
To view this, you need to install the Flash Player 5. Please go to here and download it.
Contact Us
James A. Snyder, DDS, MS
IV Sedation Alexandria
IV (intravenous) sedation involves drugs being administered directly into the bloodstream and allows the doctor greater control of the level of sedation obtained.
When the IV route is used to administer drugs the doctor has control of the dosages and the rate at which the drugs are given. With IV administration the effects of the drug are nearly immediate.Slow measured administration of drugs is called titration and this allows the doctor to target the specific desired effect. For example, the doctor can titrate the drug or combination of drugs so as to allow the patient to respond to commands but still have no memory of the procedure. This called conscious sedation. Alternatively, the drugs can be titrated so as to achieve a deeper level of sedation that eliminates the ability to respond to commands but does not result in significant changes in vital functions. This is called deep sedation.
Occasionally, even with deep sedation, a patient will be reactive to the dental work being done even though he or she will have no memory of it. This situation sometimes requires a compromise in the work being done at the time.
IV sedation thus can provide a kind of sliding scale of consciousness and changes in vital functions. It is possible for the sedation to slip to a deeper level than was intended due to unforseeable differences in people or even in the same person at different times. For this reason it is vital that the person administering IV sedation has far more training and experience than a person who administers only oral sedation. Also, equipment and personnel must be on hand to monitor vital signs, ECG, pulse oxymetry, and sometimes other parameters as well.
IV sedation always requires the patient to take the day off work (or other demanding functions) and to have someone to drive him or her home. Also, local anesthesia is usually needed in addition to the sedation for most procedures.
Administered by a well-trained person with appropriate equipment and trained staff to monitor the patient, IV sedation can be a good choice for patients who are having minimally invasive procedures and who are able to cooperate. It can also be a good option for patients with medical conditions that make it imprudent to use general anesthesia outside the hospital.