After effects?

Specialties Gastroenterology

Published

I will be caring for a loved one after a colonoscopy and was wondering if they will be drowsy? I'll be driving them home, will they remember the car ride? Will I have to watch her steps as we go into the house? Should I have an emesis basin in the car??

Is it too late to respond? EVERY patient responds differently to sedation. "Most" are fine, no nausea, a little drowsy but fully functional. But you never know who is going to be the odd duck that throws up or just can't wake up. Emesis basins are kind of small, a larger bucket or a larger sturdy plastic bag that would line a trash can, shopping bags often have holes in the bottom. When we discharge patients, if they or their ride is concerned about emesis we give them a large sturdy plastic patient belonging bag to throw up into. (We would not send them home obviously nauseated, we would medicate, if they're ok but want a just in case throw up bag.) If your friend seems to drowsy to you, you don't feel she'll manage the stairs, tell the nurse you are not going home until you friend is more awake. It is not at all unusual for a post sedation patient to be fully functional, talking to you, gets home fine, then the next day tell you, "I don't remember a thing about yesterday, how did I get home, who dressed me, etc."

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