Patient-controlled sedation

Patient-controlled sedation (PCS) represents the adaptation of patient-controlled drug administration techniques to the provision of intra-operative sedation. Several reports of experience using PCS have established the technique to be safe, effective and associated with a high degree of patient satisfaction. In view of the trend toward greater patient participation in many areas of health care, PCS presents an option that addresses the needs of patients with a strong desire to maintain a sense of control or autonomy during procedures performed under regional or local anaesthesia. This chapter reviews current PCS practices and outlines some of the areas of controversy that merit further investigation