Our hospital is currently doing an audit and practice review of sedation in outlying areas being given by non-anesthetists. The three main areas of concern are the radiology unit where nurses are giving midazolam, fentanyl and propofol, the gastro suite (same) and the emergency room. It is the last case that is especially worrying - I have sometimes wandered past to see a comatose young man lying on a trolley with little or no monitoring, obstructed airway and nobody around. When I asked the nurse what this patient's situation was, they replied it's OK, he had a dislocated ankle and the doctors gave his propofol to reduce it. Looking at his notes, the patient's fasting time was just one hour. His level of sedation now (that he was out of pain) was such that it would cause concern in any O.R. recovery unit. Yet here, untrained (?junior) doctors are giving essentially GA's with extremely poor monitoring and safety standards, and in NON_FASTED patients.
Should non-anesthetists be using propofol? My aswer is no.
Should non-anesthetists be using propofol? My aswer is no.