FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Regular cannabis users require a significantly higher amount of sedation for endoscopic procedures compared with nonusers, according to a study published online April 15 in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
Mark A. Twardowski, D.O., from Western Medical Associates in Grand Junction, Colorado, and colleagues examined the potential impact of regular cannabis use on the dose of medication needed for sedation during endoscopic procedures. Two hundred fifty medical records were reviewed from one endoscopy center and one endoscopist.
The researchers found that people who regularly used cannabis required a significantly higher amount of sedation for endoscopic procedures compared with those who did not regularly use cannabis (P = 0.05). Even after adjustment for age, sex, and use of alcohol, benzodiazepines, and opiates, the statistically significant correlation persisted.
“The correlation could prove to be important in making medical decisions related to the sedation of cannabis users,” the authors write. “Knowledge of a patient’s use of cannabis prior to sedation can help prepare endoscopists, nurses, and anesthesia providers for the potential need for more medication, increased costs, and possible risks associated with dose-dependent adverse events.”
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