Midazolam Sedation vs Multi-Drug Sedation
A conscious sedation by Midazolam only can
relieve patient anxiety and cause amnesia, but offers no
analgesia. Onset and recovery time is quite long due to the
half-life of midazolam, especially if high doses are needed.
High doses of Midazolam only pose the risk of respiratory
depression and apnoea.
There are other drugs which can be titrated alongside
Midazolam to maximise anxiolysis and amnesia for patient
comfort, offer additional analgesia to LA and minimise side
effects of respiratory depression. Midazolam, Propofol,
Alfentanyl, and Ketamine can be used in different combinations
to suit a patient’s medical history and duration of procedure.
The benefits of using different combinations are rapid onset
and rapid recovery, being able to change the level of sedation
for more complex/painful parts of the procedures and
additional analgesic properties for patients with a low pain
threshold.
At all times the patient maintains respiratory and
cardiovascular stability and even though they often drift off
into a natural sleep they can be woken up at any time.
With a comprehensive sedation the following drugs may also be
added as necessary by means of a drip: IV Paracetamol, IV
Voltarol and IV Dexamethasone.