Academy of Medicine, Singapore clinical guideline on the use of sedation by non-anaesthesiologists during gastrointestinal endoscopy in the hospital setting

INTRODUCTION@#In Singapore, non-anaesthesiologists generally administer sedation during gastrointestinal endoscopy. The drugs used for sedation in hospital endoscopy centres now include propofol in addition to benzodiazepines and opiates. The requirements for peri-procedural monitoring and discharge protocols have also evolved. There is a need to develop an evidence-based clinical guideline on the safe and effective use of sedation by non-anaesthesiologists during gastrointestinal endoscopy in the hospital setting.@*METHODS@#The Academy of Medicine, Singapore appointed an expert workgroup comprising 18 gastroenterologists, general surgeons and anaesthesiologists to develop guidelines on the use of sedation during gastrointestinal endoscopy. The workgroup formulated clinical questions related to different aspects of endoscopic sedation, conducted a relevant literature search, adopted Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology and developed recommendations by consensus using a modified Delphi process.@*RESULTS@#The workgroup made 16 recommendations encompassing 7 areas: (1) purpose of sedation, benefits and disadvantages of sedation during gastrointestinal endoscopy; (2) pre-procedural assessment, preparation and consent taking for sedation; (3) Efficacy and safety of drugs used in sedation; (4) the role of anaesthesiologist administered sedation during gastrointestinal endoscopy; (5) performance of sedation; (6) post-sedation care and discharge after sedation; and (7) training in sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopy for non-anaesthesiologists.@*CONCLUSION@#These recommendations serve to guide clinical practice during sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopy by non-anaesthesiologists in the hospital setting.

Strategies to Improve Persistent Adherence in Colorectal Cancer Screening

Colorectal cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and screening has been shown to reduce morbidity and mor-tality. This review highlights pertinent aspects of adherence to screening including the various options available and key concepts to consider in any systematic program. Persistent adherence, which is key to an efficacious screening program, is the compliance with repeated screening tests over a period of time. A “chain of survival” mindset emphasizes the step-wise, sequential and persistent approach to screening and is a helpful concept to drive the message of persistent adher-ence. A framework for the patient and physician interactions that support screening intervention is examined, and various factors that impact both patient and physician adoption and screening modality recommendations are reviewed. While systems-based approaches to screening have great utility in automation and monitoring in a surveillance program, some emerging data suggests that the human touch is still an essential driver for active participation in these programs. Fi-nally, the proportion of time concept is discussed as a useful index for monitoring persistent adherence in both individualsand populations.