Pain-management doctors say sedation slows breathing and lowers blood pressure and heart rates to potentially dangerous levels. In the vast majority of cases, it is accompanied by the cessation of food, drink and antibiotics, which can precipitate death.
Do sedatives cause death?
As sedatives work by depressing the central nervous system, the overuse of the drugs can slow body functions to such a degree as to cause unconsciousness, respiratory failure, and death. An overdose may be deliberate with the aim of committing suicide.
What are the risks of sedation?
What are the risks for procedural sedation?
- Changes in heart rate and blood pressure (rare)
- Decreased rate of breathing.
- Headache.
- Inhalation of stomach contents into your lungs (rare)
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Unpleasant memory of the experience.
