Sec. 20-123a. Anesthesia and sedation: Definitions.

For purposes of this section and section 20-123b:

(1) “Deep sedation” means a drug-induced depression of consciousness during which (A) a person cannot be easily aroused but responds purposefully following repeated or painful stimulation, (B) a person's ability to independently maintain ventilator function may be impaired, (C) assistance may be required for a person to maintain his or her airway and spontaneous ventilation may be inadequate, and (D) cardiovascular function is usually maintained;

(2) “General anesthesia” means a drug-induced loss of consciousness during which (A) a person is not able to be aroused, even by painful stimulation, (B) a person's ability to independently maintain ventilator function is often impaired, (C) a person often requires assistance in maintaining his or her airway and positive pressure ventilation may be required because of depressed spontaneous ventilation or drug-induced depression of neuromuscular function, and (D) a person's cardiovascular function may be impaired;

(3) “Minimal sedation” means a minimally depressed level of consciousness that (A) is produced by a pharmacological method that retains a person's ability to independently and continuously maintain an airway and to respond appropriately to physical stimulation or a verbal command, (B) may result in modest impairment of cognitive function and coordination but does not affect a person's ventilator and cardiovascular function, and (C) is produced by nitrous oxide or an orally administered sedative using not more than the maximum therapeutic dose recommended by the federal Food and Drug Administration and that may be prescribed for unmonitored use by a person in his or her home;

(4) “Moderate sedation” means a drug-induced depression of consciousness during which (A) a person responds purposefully to verbal commands, either alone or when accompanied by light tactile stimulation, (B) intervention is not required to maintain a person's airway and spontaneous ventilation is adequate, and (C) a person's cardiovascular function is usually maintained; and

(5) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Public Health.

(P.A. 85-251, S. 1; P.A. 87-589, S. 53, 87; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 07-252, S. 58; P.A. 15-163, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 87-589 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “or any orally administered sedation”; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 07-252 amended Subsec. (a) to make a technical change and redefine “conscious sedation” as excluding administration of a single oral sedative or analgesic medication in dose appropriate for unsupervised treatment of certain conditions, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 15-163 deleted former Subsec. (a) re definition of “conscious sedation”, added Subdiv. (1) re definition of “deep sedation”, redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subdiv. (2) and amended same by redefining “general anesthesia”, added Subdivs. (3) and (4) re definitions of “minimal sedation” and “moderate sedation”, and redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subdiv. (5).