PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Ricardo J. José AU - Shahzad Shaefi AU - Neal Navani TI - Sedation for flexible bronchoscopy: current and emerging evidence AID - 10.1183/09059180.00006412 DP - 2013 Jun 01 TA - European Respiratory Review PG - 106--116 VI - 22 IP - 128 4099 - http://err.ersjournals.com/content/22/128/106.short 4100 - http://err.ersjournals.com/content/22/128/106.full SO - EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY REVIEW2013 Jun 01; 22 AB - Flexible bronchoscopy is commonly performed by respiratory physicians and is the gold standard for directly visualising the airways, allowing for numerous diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. With the widespread use of flexible bronchoscopy and the evolution of interventional bronchoscopy with more complex and longer procedures, physicians are placing increasing importance on the use of sedation as a necessary adjunct to topical anaesthesia. There is no standardised practice for the use of sedation in bronchoscopy with a good deal of variation among physicians regarding the use of pre-procedure medication and pharmacological sedatives. In addition, there is ongoing debate and controversy about proceduralist-administered versus anaesthetist-administered sedation whilst at the same time there is a growing body of evidence that nonanaesthetist administered sedation is safe and cost-effective. In this review we summarise the evidence for the use of sedation as an adjunct to topical anaesthesia in bronchoscopy and provide the clinician with up-to-date concise guidance for the use of pharmacological sedatives in bronchoscopy and future directions for sedation in the bronchoscopy suite.