GI Societies Launch Endoscopic Sedation Web Site

OAK BROOK, Ill. -- A new online resource on endoscopic sedation, www.sedationfacts.org, is now available for gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopists and gastroenterology nurses who assist with endoscopic procedures. The Web site is a joint project of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute and the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates, Inc. (SGNA). The site was launched during Digestive Disease Week® (DDW®), the largest international conference devoted to the science and practice of gastroenterology, in San Diego, Calif., as well as at the SGNA 35th Annual Course in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The collaborative effort provides an easy-to-access online body of knowledge about the science, pharmacology, practice management and regulatory environment of endoscopic sedation. This Web site aims to improve the understanding of endoscopic sedation among GI medical professionals and trainees, giving them the information they need to improve their knowledge and to ensure patient safety.

"Rapid improvements in sedation agents, administration techniques and monitoring technologies, not to mention regulatory and reimbursement changes, have created a need for objective and timely information about endoscopic sedation," said John J. Vargo, MD, FASGE, AGAF, content committee chairman, www.SedationFacts.org. "The knowledge required to both manage and minimize risk in endoscopic sedation has also increased the need for training and education. These societies have been active in developing guidelines and training to ensure quality and safety in endoscopic sedation. This Web site is another valuable tool for GI medical professionals, offering them evidence-based information and resources they need to sustain and improve patient safety associated with endoscopic sedation."

The content of the site was developed and is maintained at the direction of GI physicians and nurses from the three societies, and includes the following sections:

-- Sedation Medications
-- Physiology of Sedation
-- Risks and Safety
-- Standards and Regulations
-- Practice Management
-- Resources and Updates
   * Sedation News (media articles)
   * Upcoming Conferences and Training
   * Related Web sites

Additional content will be added over the next several months, including a section on special circumstances associated with sedation, a monthly newsletter, sedation technologies, journal articles, videos and podcasts.

www.SedationFacts.org is funded by an educational grant from Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.

Source: American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy