Abstract
Elderly individuals undergoing intravenous sedation must be carefully monitored for changes in hemodynamics and respiratory depression. We divided a total of 2,020 patients who received intravenous sedation at our department into four groups by age, and compared their changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and SpO2. Based on the results, we discussed precautions for intravenous sedation performed for elderly individuals.
The results were as follows :
1. The drug dose required to achieve optimal sedation was low in elderly individuals.
2. Blood pressure of elderly individuals was kept at a higher level through anesthetic management. In addition, elderly individuals had a high ratio of intraoperative reduction in blood pressure.
3. No marked age-related differences were observed for heart rate.
4. SpO2 decreased with age. In addition, the ratio of patients in whom SpO2 reached \_mls2264\/93% was high among elderly individuals, and the minimum SpO2 was most commonly observed after discontinuation of postoperative oxygen administration.
Therefore, as optimal sedation can be achieved with a low dose of sedatives in elderly individuals, it is necessary to carefully select the administration method and dose in order to avoid oversedation. In addition, because elderly individuals are more susceptible to intraoperative reduction in blood pressure compared to other age groups, continuous monitoring of the sedation level and hemodynamics is necessary. Moreover, as these individuals have an elevated risk of postoperative hypoxemia, prolonged postoperative oxygen administration may be beneficial.
