Sedative Drugs, Uses and Side-effects

Published May 19, 2010

Sedation is often required for a number of procedures to reduce patient anxiety, improve cooperation and ensure immobilization when necessary. Sedative drugs can be given orally, rectally, sublingually, as an inhalation or an aerosol, or by or subcutaneous injection. However, intravenous administration provides the most reliable sedation. In routine practice, intravenous drugs are given in small bolus doses and titrated to effect.

Opioids are commonly used in conjunction with sedative drugs to provide anesthesia. Previous studies have shown that opioids reduce the clinical requirements of sedatives needed to provide adequate anesthesia.

These are commonly administered to patients with advanced cancer. However, it is often assumed that the use of these drugs inevitably results in shortening of life. Ethically, this outcome is excused by reference to the doctrine of double effect.

Many neurophysiologists severely restrict the use of opioids and sedative drugs during deep brain stimulation procedures due to the concern for depression of cellular firing frequencies used to map the brain for placement of the stimulator leads. Often spinal opioids were used to achieve prolonged pain relief in patients with chronic back pain, without altering cellular firing critical for brain mapping

When used properly, narcotics and sedative drugs sedate and relieve pain, but should not lead to a respiratory compromise. As a result, circumstances should be under control when competent staff is present.

It is widely accepted that the antihistamines have found their greatest therapeutic potential in the treatment and management of various allergic disorders, including seasonal and perennial rhinitis, urticaria and dermatologic conditions. However, the most problematic aspect of their use is sedation, which can severely compromise the safe performance of cognitive and psychomotor tasks of everyday living. The associated increase in accident risk is important when deciding which antihistamine should be prescribed to ambulant patients with allergies and dermatologic disorders.

It has also been demonstrated that ketamine possesses analgesic properties in a subanesthetic closes. Small-dose ketamine in combination with sedative drugs has been used for sedation and analgesia with less toxicity than either drug alone.

Small-dose ketamine in combination with sedative drugs has increasingly been used for sedation and analgesia in local anaesthesia

Delirium occurs in 35% to 80% of critically ill hospitalized patients. Little is known however, of delirium prevention and treatment in the critical care setting. Trials emphasizing early mobilization suggest that this no pharmacologic approach is associated with improved outcome as well as “delirium days”. Reduction of opiate analgesics and sedatives may improve subsyndromal delirium rates. All critical care caregivers should rigorously screen for alcohol abuse, apply alcohol withdrawal scales in alcoholic patients,

Studies of the effect of sedatives on normal and leukemic bone marrow cells, in vitro, and in the case of phenobarbital, on subjects suffering from overdose, showed that chlorpromazine, phenobarbital, and benzopiperidine decreased bone marrow proliferation only at toxic doses whereas propranolol and fluanisone were effective at nontoxic doses.

In the course of the study of the effects of some sedative oriental medicines on neurotransmission and antioxidative, it was noted that the extract of Euphoria longan, Zizyphus jujuba, Thuja orientalis, Polygala tenuifolia, Acorus gramineus, Cyperus rotundus, Poria cocos, Uncaria rhynchophylla, and Albizzia julibrissin, have been used as sedative drugs in Korean folk medicine. Sedative drugs are one option when autistic or mentally disabled children have behavioural disorders that place them or other people in physical danger. Among the classic neuroleptics, haloperidol is the drug with the best-documented efficacy and safety.

Recent studies on the abuse in older people highlight the use of epidemiol, screening techniques, brief intervention, and treatment issues show that this is common in older people, and frequently goes undiagnosed. Although alcohol abuse is most common, abuse of narcotic and sedative drugs also occurs. Older adults are particularly susceptible to adverse medical outcomes from substance abuse, and recent studies show that brief interventions by primary care providers can have a major impact on the health and well being of this category of personnel.

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Sedative Drugs, Uses and Side-effects

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