Providing safe sedation/analgesia: an anesthesiologist's perspective.

Over the past several years office-based procedures with sedation have become increasingly more common. It must be appreciated that not all procedures are well suited for this type of environment. Unacceptable ones would include those associated with significant fluid shifts, post-operative pain, bleeding or procedures of long duration. Since esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and colonoscopy are relatively non-invasive, of short duration, and not associated with either fluid shifts or significant post-procedure discomfort. In appropriate patients, these procedures are well-suited to office-based practice.