Training anesthesia providers for endoscopic sedation

Anesthesia providers increasingly find their services requested in endoscopy suites. There are numerous reasons, but the single most common factor is the increasing use of propofol. Despite clear trends indicating a greater demand for services, the safety record of out-of-operating room (OR) locations falls short of that in the OR. A variety of skills are required in the endoscopy suite, some of which are found in the core material of anesthesia training programs, and others that are not stressed in importance. The purpose of this article is to examine the methods of training that might be useful in producing anesthesia providers prepared for the challenges of the endoscopy suite and other out-of-OR locations, and speculate on how anesthesia training directors might address these needs.