Editorial
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. May 28, 2010; 16(20): 2451-2457
Published online May 28, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i20.2451
Sedation and analgesia in gastrointestinal endoscopy: What’s new?
Lorella Fanti, Pier Alberto Testoni
Lorella Fanti, Pier Alberto Testoni, Division of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy
Author contributions: Fanti L and Testoni PA contributed equally to this work; Fanti L wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Pier Alberto Testoni, Associate Professor, Division of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy. testoni.pieralberto@hsr.it
Telephone: +39-2-26432756 Fax: +39-2-26433491
Received: December 22, 2009
Revised: February 20, 2010
Accepted: February 27, 2010
Published online: May 28, 2010
Abstract

Various types of sedation and analgesia technique have been used during gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures. The best methods for analgesia and sedation during gastrointestinal endoscopy are still debated. Providing an adequate regimen of sedation/analgesia might be considered an art, influencing several aspects of endoscopic procedures: the quality of the examination, the patient’s cooperation and the patient’s and physician’s satisfaction with the sedation. The properties of a model sedative agent for endoscopy would include rapid onset and offset of action, analgesic and anxiolytic effects, ease of titration to desired level of sedation, rapid recovery and an excellent safety profile. Therefore there is an impulse for development of new approaches to endoscopic sedation. This article provides an update on the methods of sedation today available and future directions in endoscopic sedation.

Keywords: Gastrointestinal endoscopy, Analgesia, Sedation, Propofol