PEDIATRICS Vol. 108 No. 1 July 2001, pp. 163-165
Sedation of Children for Electroencephalograms
Received Oct 24, 2000; accepted Jan 16, 2001.
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From the Departments of * Neurology and Objective. Sedation sometimes is
necessary to perform an electroencephalogram (EEG) on a child. A
dramatic decline in the need to use conscious sedation in our EEG
laboratory prompted this review of our sedation experience. The purpose
of this review was to determine the incidence of adverse sedation
effects and to determine why the need for sedation had declined.
Methods. All 513 attempts to administer sedation to
children who were undergoing EEG studies during a 4-year period were
reviewed retrospectively. Parameters studied included type and amount
of the sedative agents, need for repeated dosing, successful completion
of the EEG, and complications attributed to the sedative.
Results. Sedation was attempted in 513 (18%) of 2855 EEGs
performed during the 4-year period. Ninety-one percent of the EEGs
performed with sedation were completed successfully. Chloral hydrate
was the most frequently administered sedative. Complications (transient oxygen desaturation) occurred in 3 children, all of whom had recognized risk factors for airway compromise. The proportion of children who
required sedation decreased from 32% to just 2% during that time
period.
Conclusion. Sedation of children who are undergoing EEG
examinations is effective and safe. Complications are infrequent. The
need for sedation can be decreased greatly by adequate preparation and by creating a less-threatening, child-friendly environment in which to
perform the study.
Pediatrics, Stanford
University Medical Center, Stanford, California.
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