Is it good medical practice to sedate a patient without examining them first?

[jenmac73]

Hi
I wonder if you could tell me whether it is acceptable for a consultant in a hospital to sedate a patients before he has carried out a proper examination of them?!
Many Thanks
JenMac

[Tuckamore]

Rem,

I respectfully disagree with you. The anesthetist or anesthesiologist are employed by the hospital. The "nurse" that you refer to are well trained for the main purpose of safely providing anesthesia and they are anesthetists. They are employed by the facility.

Unless they treat PM patients as part of a PM team the anesthesiologists (an MD) do not have a private practice either. They see patients prior to surgical procedure and evaluate the patient and the the best type of anesthesia for the patient and the procedure just as the anesthetists does. That is their job.

Though the health care delivery system in the US could use some tweaking we have the best health care in the world. And you will get no arguments that some physicians lack good bedside manners and have lost or never had the ability for empathy and compassion but I believe we still are the best. Please don't send me to another country for a laminectomy.

Just my personal opinion.
Peace,
Tuck  

[rem223]

Sedation?  How about general anesthesia?  Many surgi-centers hire nurses who act (often poorly) as anesthesia providers and nobody from anesthesia even talks to the patient until just before surgery!  This is the "standard of care" or the lack thereof in the USA.

[nurseaudrea]

It depends on what the sedation was for. Some people have to be sedated in emergency situations where they may hurt themselves or someone else if they are not sedated. It really depends on the circumstances.

[ChronicPain1]

Only reason for that I could see is if the examination was intensive enough to require sedation prior.

[Tuckamore]

Hi Jenmac,

Welcome to the Pain Management Forum.

I cannot give you an answer because I do not have all the information. Much depends on the situation and contributing factors. This is not a simple yes or no response in my opinion.

Sorry I can't be more helpful.
Tuck