We applaud Vinson and Hoehn for eloquently demonstrating that the performance of sedation assisted procedures in the emergency department (ED) does not necessarily require a 2 physician team. From a Canadian perspective, where single physician coverage in smaller EDs is common, this has important implications in terms of efficiency of patient care, reduction in the need for patient transfer and decreasing the time to definitive treatment for ED patients.
With regard to sedative agents used in procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA), such as etomidate, the focus has been on variables usually related to side effect profile and the success rates of various procedures, with both variables specifically taking place during the patients’ stay in the emergency department (ED). There have been no extensive data on the functional status of patients after they leave the ED following PSA.
