ABSTRACT
The first sedation guidelines appeared in 1985. In the past 10 years, the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the
American College of Radiology (ACR), and the Joint Commission on the Accreditation
of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) have issued various guidelines and standards to
enhance the safety of patients requiring conscious sedation during their care. Radiologists
need to be aware of these groups' recommendations as well as their own hospital's
policies in order to design an effective and safe program for conscious sedation in
their own practice. This article gives a history of the relevant guidelines and standards,
compares and contrasts them, and makes recommendations concerning risk-management
techniques to improve compliance.
KEYWORD
Conscious sedation - sedation - analgesia
