The Effects of Intrathecal Fentanyl on Sedation Depth and Postoperative Recovery Room Delirium
Table 1
Observer’s Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (OAA/S) Scale.
Subscore
Responsiveness
Speech
Facial expression
Eyes
5
Responding readily to name spoken in normal tone
Normal
Normal
Clear, no ptosis
4
Lethargic response to name spoken in normal tone
Mild slowing or thickening
Mild relaxation
Glazed or mild ptosis
3
Responding only after name is spoken loudly and/or repeatedly
Slurring or prominent slowing
Marked relaxation (slack jaw)
Glazed and marked ptosis
2
Responding only after mild prodding or shaking
Few recognized words
1
Not responding to mild prodding or shaking
The final score is the sum of the responsiveness, speech, facial expression, and eyes component scores. Thus, a “wide awake” scores 5 and a “deeply sedated” scores 1.