Which of the following is NOT a listed complication of sedation?

• A. Hyperglycemia
• B. Hypoxemia
• C. Apnea
• D. Aspiration pneumonia

Answer: (A)

When evaluating sedation, the main risks relate to airway and breathing. Sedation can depress the central nervous system and blunt protective airway reflexes, which leads to problems like hypoxemia (low oxygen), apnea (cessation of breathing), and an increased risk of aspirating stomach contents, causing aspiration pneumonia. Hyperglycemia, on the other hand, isn’t a direct or typical consequence of the sedative process itself. It’s more about underlying diabetes or metabolic/stress responses that aren’t caused by the sedation per se. So hyperglycemia isn’t a listed complication of sedation, whereas hypoxemia, apnea, and aspiration pneumonia are.