Assessing the Level of Consciousness in Sedated Patients

A number of scales are available for the assessment of the level of consciousness in patients undergoing procedural sedation. However, these do not accurately reflect the spectrum of depth of sedation observed in clinical practice. To address these problems we have developed a novel tool entitled Alertness in Sedated Patients (ASP) score to better assess the levels of consciousness during procedural sedation. The aim is to assist the sedationist in clinical decision making regarding drugs and dosages so the patient can be safely kept at the desired level of sedation.