Anesthesia and sedation outside of the operating room

The volume of pediatric invasive and noninvasive procedures outside the operating room continues to increase. The acuity and complexity of patient clinical condition has resulted in the expansion of the anesthesiologist's role in remote sites. The anesthesia provider must ensure patient safety by assuring appropriate patient preparation, having available required equipment for monitoring and rescue, planning careful sedation/anesthesia management, continuing vigilance and observation into the recovery phase, and requiring strict discharge criteria. A quality improvement program for the department of anesthesiology should review anesthetic and sedation outcomes of patients both inside and outside the operating room.