Sedation and analgesia in interventional radiology: Where do we stand, where are we heading and why does it matter?

The aims of this review were to describe the rationale and the techniques of sedation in interventional radiology, and to compile the safety and efficacy results available so far in the literature. A systematic MEDLINE/PubMed literature search was performed. Preliminary results from several studies demonstrated the feasibility, the efficacy and the safety of using sedative techniques in interventional radiology. Beyond pharmacological sedation and clinical hypnosis, digital sedation could reduce the anxiety and pain associated with interventional radiology procedures.