Pediatric Sedation Services
Pediatric sedation services refer to the specialized medical care provided to children to help them relax, stay still, and undergo necessary medical procedures while minimizing pain and anxiety. Sedation involves the use of medications to induce a state of relaxation or sleep, depending on the level of sedation required for the procedure.There are three main forms of pediatric sedation:
- Anxiety Reduction: Typically, an oral medication that helps reduce fear and anxiety associated with being in a medical environment. This strategy is often used on school aged children and older who can be coached or distracted -- with the help of Child Life Specialists, movies, googles or an iPad -- while undergoing imaging such as a CT or MRI. This modality is used in situations that don't have an associated pain or quick procedures like an IV placement.
- Moderate Sedation: This form of pediatric sedation uses an intravenous medication for anxiety and pain. This strategy is used for school age and adolescent patients who can be coached or distracted (who are undergoing a procedure with a local anesthetic.
- Deep sedation: The use of IV medication that leads to unconsciousness, while allowing kids to breathe on their own. This sedation type is available for infants, children and adolescents for imaging wherein the child cannot move (for instance an MRI) and is too young or developmentally unable to be coached to stay still and other types of sedation would not be effective. This strategy is also used for procedures that are painful and may take time, for example in our oncology patients that need bone marrow biopsies.
Child Life Program
Helping young patients develop ways to cope with anxiety, fear, and separation that often accompany the hospital experience.
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