Originally Posted by MizLisa 
Hello in the unit I work in in Southern California we can discharge pts after being in recovery for 1/2 and their vital signs are within a normal range of their baseline. We also require pts to pass the air from the colonoscopy and have a soft non tender abdomen and to be able to swallow without and pain or difficulty after an EGD. We use demerol and versed. Usually the average does is 50mg demerol 3-4 mg of versed per pt. That is the average. Sometimes less and sometimes more. We are also seeing a trend of pts (especially men) having a colonoscopy without and sedation. They leave after they pass the residual air from the procedure. A 24hr stay is excessive and versed is pretty much metabolized in about 20 mins. Good Luck! Lisa
What techniques are used in order to make colonoscopy bearable without sedation? The techniques that I have read about include using a gastroenterologist with extensive experience and skill, the use of abdominal compression to prevent looping, and the Olympus Scopeguide, which transmits an image of its path through the colon, so that looping can be seen and prevented.
Your post is the most encouraging yet about colonoscopy without sedation, since you say that it is becoming more popular. I was initially given 50mg Demerol, and 1mg Versed, since I wanted to watch. I asked for more drugs, probably when the scope was going from the transverse colon to the ascending colon, and was given 25mg Demerol and 2mg Versed. Unfortunately, I was not able to remember the rest of the procedure.
When it is time for another colonoscopy, I will request it without sedation. This will probably mean going out of town, but as Ohio is blessed with top-notch medical facilities, I doubt that I will have to go all the way to California.
Michael E. Shultz
mshultz@valkyrie.net
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx
Length of stay
I work in an Gastroenterology clinic and we as ....m
) Patients also sign a paper explaining that they should not drive, operate machinery, make important decisions or sign legal papers for 24 hours after the procedure. (Yeah, I can just imagine driving the 20 miles to my attorney's office and having him draw up my living will with all those sedatives and a Percocet chaser swirling around in my bloodstream...... 
)
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