Topic Overview

A doctor may use procedural sedation for a minor procedure that needs only small amounts of anesthesia and doesn’t require an anesthesia specialist to be there. This type of sedation uses local anesthesia with sedatives to relax you. You may or may not be conscious.

During some but not all types of procedural sedation, you may respond normally to physical stimulation and verbal commands. Procedural sedation can help relieve pain and anxiety. It can also limit some of the discomfort of lying still.

Procedural sedation may be used to make it easier to relax and lie still, especially in children, for minor procedures or tests (such as a CT scan).