Sedation in gastrointestinal endoscopy: Where are we at in 2014?

Table 1 Pharmacologic profile of commonly used drugs for procedural sedation

Drugs	Onset of action (min)	Duration of action (min)	Usual doses	FDA pregnancy category	Adverse effects
Pethidine	3-6	60-180	25-100 mg	C	Respiratory depression, vomiting
Fentanyl	1-2	30-60	50-200 μg	C	Respiratory depression, vomiting
Alfentanyl	< 1	30-60	0.250-2 mg	C	Respiratory and cardiovascular depression
Midazolam	1-2	15-80	1-6 mg	D	Respiratory depression, disinhibition
Propofol	< 1	4-8	40-400 mg	B	Respiratory and cardiovascular depression
Flumazenil	1-2	60	0.1-1 mg	C	Agitation, withdrawal symptoms
Naloxone	1-2	30-45	0.2-1 mg	B	Narcotic withdrawal