Safety Assessment of Sedation Services in Radiology at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center, Peshawar.

Objective: The purpose of this retrospective observational study was to evaluate the safety of newly started sedation services in the department of Radiology Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center Peshawar, Pakistan.

Methods: Medical record of the patients who underwent sedation for different types of imaging studies at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Peshawar center were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate the safety outcome of sedation. Process variables included preoperative assessment, obtaining informed consent acquisition, confirmation of nulla per os (NPO) status, monitoring during the procedure, post-anesthetic care unit (PACU) handover, and discharge instructions. The monitored complications included instances of cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, hypoxia, apnea and vomiting.

Results: No major adverse events, such as respiratory or cardiovascular arrest, were observed among the patients in our study. A limited number of cases experienced minor events, specifically hypoxia and apnea, all of which were effectively addressed through simple maneuvers. However, one patient with previously undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea encountered upper airway obstruction, necessitating the discontinuation of the procedure. Subsequently, all patients were safely discharged to their homes from the recovery area.

Conclusion: Sedation in Radiology department can be safely performed by adhering to a structured approach aligned with hospital policies and procedures.