Current Approaches to Sedation and Anesthesia in Endoscopy Units: Integrating Pharmacology, Monitoring, and Patient Safety

Sedation and anesthesia practices in gastrointestinal endoscopy units play a critical role in enhancing patient comfort, improving procedural tolerance, and ensuring procedural success. However, increasing procedural complexity and the growing burden of patient comorbidities have heightened the importance of patient safety, particularly with respect to the cardiorespiratory risks associated with deep sedation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current sedation and anesthesia practices in endoscopy units, with a focus on patient selection, risk stratification, pharmacological agents, monitoring standards, and complication management. Emphasis is placed on patient-centered and individualized sedation strategies that account for patient age, comorbidities, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification, and procedural characteristics. Propofol remains the cornerstone of endoscopic sedation because of its rapid onset and favorable recovery profile. Nevertheless, newer agents such as remimazolam, ciprofol, and esketamine have emerged as promising alternatives either as primary sedative agents or as adjuvant drugs, offering improved pharmacokinetic predictability, greater hemodynamic stability, and potentially enhanced cardiorespiratory safety. Adjunctive agents, including opioids and ketamine, may further optimize analgesia and sedation quality when used appropriately. Standard monitoring modalities, including pulse oximetry, noninvasive blood pressure, and electrocardiography, are essential, whereas capnography offers significant advantages for the early detection of respiratory compromise. Effective complication management relies on early recognition, timely intervention, and adherence to structured safety protocols. Validated recovery and discharge scoring systems further contribute to safe postprocedural care. In conclusion, safe and effective sedation in gastrointestinal endoscopy units requires a multidisciplinary, protocoldriven approach that integrates individualized pharmacological strategies, appropriate monitoring, and experienced clinical teams.

Cite this article as: Sahin F, Erdem AF, Preckel B. Current approaches to sedation and anesthesia in endoscopy units: Integrating pharmacology, monitoring, and patient safety. Turk J Gastroenterol. Published online July 27, 2026. doi: 10.5152/tjg.2026.26388.