Adverse events with general anesthesia versus sedation without planned intubation for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: a multicenter observational study

ASGE guidelines recommend that anesthesia assistance be considered for complex procedures such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). General anesthesia may provide greater airway protection, but may lead to hypotension. We aimed to compare general endotracheal anesthesia (GA) versus sedation without planned intubation (SWPI) on the incidence of hypoxemia and hypotension. We also explored risk factors for conversion from SWPI to GA.