I was wondering if I could get some general input from GI nurses and or CRNAs who provide procedural conscious sedation and pain control for colonoscopy. Since I get this exam yearly after avoiding extensive cancer surgery, I try to get as many patient who need the exam to get one. An increasing number of people do not want the amnesia/memor loss associated withh Versed (Midazolam) and opt for the exam sedation-free. I am one of them. The question often comes up with patients who do not want sedation: can they just get pain control (fentanyl)? I understand the synergy between the midazolam and the narcotic and understand that the patient be quite are of the exam, but I agree with the patients who have had or heard about negative experiences with Versed (and the number is increasing daily). So, question #1:
For colonoscopy in a patient declinig sedation, do you see any reason why they could not just have fentanyl? This option would get a fair number of patients screened who do not want sedation. Recently, a patient told me that the GI lab at our hospital told her: either accept sedation or you won't get anything for pain. Seems a little one-sided to me, but I called to schedule a colonoscopy and was told the same thing. One GI nurse said it might be a way to convince everyone to accept sedation also. If true, this is bad, leading to many not getting the test.
question #2 (for CRNAs):
For colonoscopy where propofol is given, do you also administer a narcotic (ie fentanyl) or just use propofol? I'm asking because I have noiced an increase in patient dissatifaction with colonoscopy with propofol when fentanyl was not used; and this is important to me since many patients pay extra for it when I suggest propofol. Up until recently, every patient who had colonoscopy with anesthesa coverage (propofol) was satisfied; now I am running into a lot of patients who had propofol and would never consider another exam because of painful memories. And when I review their charts, they are always the ones who got propofol without any narcotic.
Thanks in advance for your inpt. I personally would never do the exam with sedation, but I have to keep my personal opinions out of my work, although it is refreshing to run across so many patients who will not accept Versed because of its well-documented, negative reputation (askapatient or versedbusters). Thanks.
