Sedation in the interventional cardiology suite

Introduction Almost a century after the introduction of cardiac catheterization, and with the development of further interventional cardiology techniques, the cardiology suite has progressed from a solely diagnostic facility. Now it is a more elaborate suite that currently allows the application of multiple techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of a large number of cardiac diseases. In this context, the complexities of some procedures have increasingly demanded that the management of patients undergoing them also evolves. Additionally, availability of and demand for these procedures has also grown, and they are now frequently performed on a routine or daily basis in most healthcare facilities. Today these increasingly complex procedures are being performed on more acutely ill patients, presenting a challenge to provide adequate patient safety and achieve procedural success. The ultimate goal of the cardiovascular specialist is to be able to perform a successful procedure while ensuring that the patient remains comfortable and has adequate pain control (Table 16.1).