moderate sedation, the administration of central nervous system depressant drugs and/or analgesics to provide analgesia, relieve anxiety, and/or provide amnesia during surgical, diagnostic, or interventional procedures. Consciousness is depressed, and the patient may fall asleep but is not unresponsive. Oversedation or an adverse patient response to sedation may result in life-threatening complications such as hypotension, loss of airway reflexes, inability to maintain a patent airway, hypoventilation, apnea, or agitation and movement at a critical point in the procedure. Anesthetic monitoring during conscious sedation includes at a minimum the monitoring of blood pressure, electrocardiography, and pulse oximetry. Also called conscious sedation. See also anesthesia, awake anesthesia.
