Community Chat

[scotttie]

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/laryngoscopy

[scotttie]

I thought that sedation for the procedure Joan had was the same as endoscopy or colonoscopy.

Evidently, upon further research, what she had requires General Anasthesia.

The doctors have been talking about Propophol so perhaps that's what they used but this is not the same as the twilight sleep I have been talking about on several threads here.

Pitdakota. Come.

[LilacTree]

I've had two laryngoscopies, both in the doctor's office with a local spray-like med that numbed my throat. I had them both with the flexible tubes that were threaded down my throat and had lights on the ends of them. They were mildly uncomfortable, but I didn't feel pain (I think it was a lidocaine spray similar to the injections one gets at a dentist's office, but instead of a needle, a spray is used), and I was totally awake. They were both exploratory and no tissue was taken. There were no other people (or machinery that I noticed) in the room but the doctor and me.

From what is described in the link, it appears that Joan may have had the "rigid" laryngoscopy and that is why she was anesthetized and totally put under.

As I've stated in other threads, I've had at least eight endoscopies, and those were done at an endoscopy center in a well equipped room, with several individuals, including the gastroenterologist who did the procedures, and an anesthesiologist present. My daughter tells me I was probably given Fentanyl, since I was not in a twilight sleep for those procedures, I was "out" and woke up as one does from general anesthesia. I just read on Google that fentanyl is 50-100 times more potent than morphine.

[scotttie]

Since I have been using the term "twilight sleep" which is a term I am sure I learned from someone who is a nurse in this field; I decided to look it up in my dd's Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary (heh-heh I knew all this nursing school expense would pay off someday ).

Anyway, this is their definition of "twilight sleep":

"A state of partial anesthesia and hypoconsciousness in which pain sense has been greatly reduced by the injection of morphine and scopolamine. The patient responds to pain but afterward the memory of the pain is dulled or effaced. Although once in common use as a method of analgesia for childbirth and minor surgery, twilight sleep has been replaced by more effecite contemporary approaches to pain control. "

Therefore, my use of the term "twilight sleep" is evidently outdated.

[scotttie]

PS: When I have had endoscopies or colonoscopies they used a combination of drugs. I believe they use versed and demerol but not sure. I am told that on one of my colonoscopies I woke up during but I don't remember it.

When dd had her bone marrow aspirations and biopsies they used a combination of Versed and Fentanyl.

Propophol is in use for these gastro procedures now too. That's what my friend has when she gets her tests.

[sgraham30]

I wonder if she might have been allergic to whatever anesthesia was used? My father had heart surgery years ago before he died & they nearly lost him because of an allergic reaction to whatever anesthesia was used during the surgery.

[pepes mom]

Around here, Propofol is used for all sorts of -oscopies. It has become the standard in sedation. I've had Propofol for my last 3 procedures. Additional agents are also used, such as Fentanyl and Versed. Patients are seen by an anesthesiologist and the meds are administered by a CRNA.

[Shorty2U]

I think we all have to wait and see what the results of Joan's autopsy show.

As I was told many times, one can be healthy and have all the tests in the world before a procedure, but anything can happen during it no matter how healthy one is. A person can even have a cardiogram or stress test today and can still fall over tomorrow. Those tests show what is going on "at the time" and cannot predict the next day.

As far as Propofol etc it is my understanding through having surgeries that they use a mix of drugs to put people to sleep. (I asked a lot of questions when I was to have Propofol and this is what they told me).

Joan has had a number of procedures so I'm sure (and would hope) that the Dr and or anesthesiologist went over what was used before so Joan wouldn't be allergic.

Well its all quite sad. Hopefully questions will be answered for her families sake, so they do not always wonder.

Continued prayers to Joan's family.

[prisrob]

The sedation for endoscopies and many outpatient procedures is called 'conscious sedation'. Scopolamine has not been used in decades.

[pitdakota]

On 9/8/2014 prisrob said: The sedation for endoscopies and many outpatient procedures is called 'conscious sedation'. Scopolamine has not been used in decades.

prisrob, some are using the term twilight sleep a little now instead of conscious sedation. Guess it is easier to say. lol But, I am like you....I see the term twilight sleep and I think of scopolamine. lol