Safety degree assessment of drugs used in conscious sedation for colonoscopy in patients that develop respiratory depression

Abstract

Objective To analyze the safety degree of drugs used in colonoscopy during conscious sedation in patients developing respiratory depression. Methods Cross-sectional observational study that evaluated 1120 patients who underwent colonoscopy between February 2015 and February 2016. Physical characteristics, surgical history and previous colonoscopies, indication and conditions of the current examination, fentanyl and midazolam doses and subsequent complications were analyzed. Level of significance: p < 0.05. Chi-square test was used for association of categorical variables, whereas Student's t test was used to compare means and Spearman's coefficient for correlation. Results There were 661 female (59%) and 459 (41%) male patients, with a mean age of 54.90 (20–87) years and BMI of 27.00 (14.5–45.4). Of the 1120 patients, only 2 (0.2%) had respiratory depression, reversed with lanexat. Patients who had complications were of both genders, with a body mass index of 21.25 and 28.7. There was a correlation between the required dose of fentanyl and age (p < 0.001 to −0.121 Spearman's coefficient), as well as midazolam (p < 0.001 – Spearman's coefficient −0.452) and increasing age was associated with a lower dose of the drug. Conclusion The number of patients with complications was 0.17%. The age of the patient showed an inverse association, i.e., the older the patient, the lower the required dose of medication. The drugs used in colonoscopy show a high degree of safety, corroborating their frequent use for superficial/conscious sedation in this procedure.