sedation
sih-DAY-shuhn
/sɪˈdeɪ.ʃən/
The reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure.
Ranges from mild calmness to deep twilight sleep; unlike general anesthesia, patients usually maintain independent breathing.
The story behind the word. From Latin sedatio, coming from sedare, meaning 'to settle, calm, or appease' (related to sedere, to sit). It originally referred to calming mental disturbances before becoming a surgical term.
Word relationships
- tranquilization: Tranquilization calms anxiety without necessarily dulling surgical discomfort.
- anxiolysis: Anxiolysis specifically target reduction of mental anxiety without impairing cognitive alertness.
- stimulation: Stimulation increases bodily arousal, opposite to sedation.
Commonly confused with
- anesthesia: Sedation relaxes the nervous system and induces calm or drowsiness, whereas general anesthesia renders a patient completely unconscious and insensitive to pain.
Word family
- sedate (verb/adjective): To administer a calming drug; or calm and unhurried.
- sedative (noun/adjective): A medication that induces calmness.
Collocations
- conscious sedation
- under sedation
- deep sedation
- moderate sedation
Example sentences
- "The patient remained comfortable under conscious sedation throughout the colonoscopy." Outpatient endoscopy clinic
- "Mild sedation was administered to help calm the anxious child before repairing the tooth." Pediatric dental procedure
Memory hook
SEDATION makes you SIT down and rest. Calming the nervous system.
When not to use
Do not use to describe natural, unmedicated relaxation.
Fun facts
- Conscious sedation allows patients to answer simple questions during a procedure without remembering any pain afterward.
Related words
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