Posted by Casey on 6/6/2005, 1:18 pm, in reply to "Re: questions not just for colonoscopies" I am a sedation nurse in a GI lab. I have noticed that the GI docs, who are more skilled at operating the scopes, do a better job and cause less discomfort than the SURGEONS, who also scope. We use Demerol and Versed, sometimes Fentanyl and Versed. I get so frustrated and angry because I have seen many, many patients crying out in pain and they remember the WHOLE thing (usually surgery patients). I am not at liberty to medicate the patient as I would like to; the physician has to tell me how much medication to give. Most of them have NO earthly idea how much Versed and Demerol to use. This, along with inadequate skills in manipulating the scopes, is why so many folks have such a terrible experience with an endoscopy procedure. I was fortunate when I had my 'scope. I think I got propofol; a nurse anesthetist did my "sedation" and I didn't remember anything about it, and woke up quickly afterwards. Also I had a GI doc. Which helps greatly. Thank you for bringing up this very important issue! And another: I'm absolutely terrified. I'm a former ICU nurse, now in anesthesia school. I have to get a colonoscopy because of recent problems and my very cool doc wants it done this week, so I'm getting it done saturday because, if anyone knows about anesthesia school, I can't take anytime off school. So anesthesia isn't available on weekends for some reason so I'm getting demerol and versed. Every scope I have helped out with in ICU was somewhat awake and moaning, have seen some in real pain, it just never seemed fair. I will not have this! I don't want to be awake, don't care if I obstruct my airway, don't want to cooperate, watch the video, or be in any sort of pain at all. What I'm wondering is what would you Endo nurse say are standard doses of Demerol and Versed and what are the higher end of standard does you have given. I plan on having an indepth discussion with my doc before I'm wheeled in. I'm so scared after reading this board it's almost making me cry. Of course, that's why I went into anesthesia school, so I could take people's pain away during difficult times. I would so much rather get propofol, but this has to be done in two days so I'll suck it up. I'd really appreciate any Endo nurses responses, thanks in advance!
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Here are a couple from allnurses.com:
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