Changes coming to guidelines for sedation starting May 1

Sedated patient sized for Caregiver News

Intermountain is implementing new sedation guidelines for minimal, moderate, and deep sedation. These guidelines will provide appropriate regulatory steps to manage each targeted depth of sedation. CTIS implementation, adoption, and support began April 27, and the guidelines and the policy will go live on Sunday, May 1.

Departments affected by the change include:

  • Interventional radiology
  • Cardiovascular
  • Imaging
  • ICU
  • Adult inpatient sedation
  • Pain management
  • Surgical services (already transitioned)

Who can perform sedation? 

Minimal Sedation: Minimal sedation involves the administration of a single dose of medication for pain or anxiety to help facilitate procedural care. This is in the scope of licensed independent providers and no specific privileges are required for providing this care.

Moderate Sedation: The practitioners responsible for the administration of the medication must have privileges to oversee moderate sedation. 

Deep Sedation: Beginning May 1, procedural sedation that renders patients unconscious or procedural sedation using general anesthetic agents (Propofol, Ketamine, Etomidate, Methohexital, and Pentothal) is restricted to: 

  • Emergency Physicians 
  • Critical Care Physicians 
  • Anesthesia providers 

Registered nurses who’ve completed education and competency may administer minimal and moderate sedation as defined in the Targeted Minimal and Targeted Moderate Sedation Guidelines.

Registered nurses who complete the Intermountain sedation training may deliver deep sedation medications under personal supervision of an intensivist or emergency physician who is in the room and specifying the dose and timing of administration. 

See the Practice Change Update Document for Upcoming Sedation Changes for more in-depth information.

Sedation Powerplans are being updated to reflect these upcoming changes. It’s recommended for nurses to complete the Pre-Procedure Form when preparing a patient for Moderate or Deep sedation (Social Hx/NPO status/med hx/sedation hx. etc.) regardless of location of sedation being performed. 

Preparing for sedation policy changes

Affected departments will receive training on the new workflow. Our clinical education department will be reaching out to providers and registered nurses who manage sedation to schedule training. 

For more questions contact Katelyn Swenson or Will Shakespeare, MD.

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