Plastic surgical nursing : official journal of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgical Nurses
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Conscious sedation is an appropriate choice for patients who do not require a general anesthetic, but rather need sedation to alleviate anxiety, minimize the discomfort of less invasive surgical procedures, or even to tolerate a regional or local anesthetic. New pharmaceutical agents, with their short half lives, provide amnesia, analgesia, and sedation quite safely. ⋯ Standards and guidelines have been extensively developed by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, to set forth a practice for all providers that will promote patient safety and provider vigilance (AANA, 1998). The purpose of this article is to review the process of conscious sedation.
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Shotgun injuries to the face are difficult to care for due to the often massive tissue and bone destruction and the complications that can accompany these injuries. Psychological responses from the family, significant other, and nursing staff in dealing with disfiguring and sometimes fatal injuries are additional challenges that nurses will face.