Take special care when performing endoscopic procedures on these patient populations. Safe and effective sedation may require additional expertise, knowledge and monitoring.

Perform endoscopy during pregnancy only when indications for the procedure are clear and less invasive than other modalities. When using sedation, consider maternal and fetal risks, physiologic changes, pharmacologic risks, monitoring needs and lactation effects.

Make the best possible sedation choices for your pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy patients. Consider their unique needs due to physiological differences, pharmacologic considerations, and patient care and assessment requirements.

Observe additional precautions when performing endoscopic procedures on elderly patients. Due to age-related diseases, endoscopy may be performed more frequently in this age group. However, they also may have chronic illnesses that increase their risks for complications.

Learn the characteristics of difficult-to-sedate patients who may require general anesthesia or deep sedation by an anesthesiologist. Or, choose from alternative or adjunctive agents to assist with sedation.

Learn about the risk of airway complications when patients with sleep apnea receive anesthetic, analgesic, or sedative medications.