Sedation and analgesia in interventional radiology.

Complex medical procedures requiring the administration of sedation and analgesia are frequently performed in sites outside the operating room. In particular, interventional radiologists must understand basic principles of sedation and analgesia to direct nurses or nurse practitioners to provide adequate conscious sedation. The purpose of this article is to review basic principles of sedation, pharmacologic agents used for sedation and analgesia, practice guidelines, monitoring, and management of common hemodynamic problems encountered during sedation.