Background: Sedation and analgesia are routinely used to improve patient tolerance for GI endoscopy. Currently, assessment of postprocedure recovery uses cardiovascular and respiratory parameters but not psychomotor function. The two aims of this study were to determine degree of psychomotor recovery after conscious sedation for endoscopy when patients meet established discharge criteria, and to identify a sensitive method of testing psychomotor recovery, and thereby provide meaningful predictions regarding the ability of patients to return to daily activities.
Methods: Outpatients undergoing elective EGD were recruited. Four psychometric tests were used to establish baseline psychomotor function before sedation and analgesia: Critical Tracking, Manual Dexterity, Multiple-Choice Reaction Time, and Letter Cancellation. Meperidine and midazolam were administered intravenously per standard nomogram. The tests were repeated immediately after the procedure and at 15-minute intervals until patients were deemed ready for discharge by recovery room personnel. Discharge criteria included an Aldrete discharge score of 10 and the ability to ambulate unhindered and carry on a simple conversation. Recovery personnel were blinded to psychometric test results. Psychomotor scores at discharge were compared with baseline scores to determine percent recovery.
Results: Thirty-one patients (12 men, 19 women; mean age 43 years, range 18-72 years) were enrolled. When Aldrete discharge criteria were met, the average psychomotor recovery was only 60% to 70% compared with baseline. At the time of discharge, average psychomotor recovery was 86.5% of baseline. Letter Cancellation and Multiple-Choice Reaction Time had the highest sensitivity in detecting depression of psychomotor function versus baseline, with mean recovery of, respectively, 64% and 63% (p < 0.0001).
Conclusions: Psychomotor function remains significantly impaired when patients reach an Aldrete discharge score of 10. The Letter Cancellation test was most sensitive in detecting psychomotor impairment and recovery. Incorporating psychometric tests with current discharge criteria may identify patients who are better able to resume normal daily activities without supervision.