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Pediatrics specialties

Procedural sedation

What is procedural sedation?

Many procedures can be painful, frightening or stressful for children. The pediatric procedural sedation service utilizes medications individualized for each child to reduce the pain and anxiety of a procedure. The medications provide analgesia, amnesia and sedation. The service will work with each child and their family to help provide a sedation plan that makes for a more comfortable, safe and effective procedure for the child. We offer sedation for patients up to 21 years of age.

Procedural sedation service

Our team is composed of pediatric intensivists, pediatric nurses and nurse practitioners, and child life specialists. Services are provided in the pediatric sedation suite inside the PICU and are available for outpatient procedural sedation services Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Our inpatient procedural sedation services are offered Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. We provide and encourage family-centered care, and welcome the family’s input.

Procedures that may require sedation

Diagnostic procedures 
Bone marrow biopsy    
Lumbar puncture    
Bronchoscopy    
Endoscopy         
EMG              
Solid organ biopsy
Implants

Therapeutic procedures
Drainage of abscess
Administration of intrathecal medicine
Complex wound care
PICC line placement
Chest tube placement

Steps in the sedation process

  1. The child’s physician will request sedation for a procedure from the Pediatric Procedural Sedation Service by calling (804) 827-DOZE (3696).
  2. The child’s health history should be faxed to (804) 628-2138. It will then be reviewed to determine if it is safe for the child to be sedated.
  3. If it is determined that the child could benefit from sedation and it is safe to provide, a scheduler will contact the physician's office.
  4. When the child arrives in time to the sedation suite, they will be examined and a health history obtained. An IV will be started for the procedure through which sedation medication will be administered. If the child arriving for an outpatient procedure has a cold, cough, fever or is vomiting, the sedation and procedure may be rescheduled for another day.
  5. A sedation plan will be made, and the procedure will begin.
  6. The child will be placed on a monitor, and their vital signs will be taken frequently.
  7. Parents are allowed to remain in the room with their child until the child is fully sedated, and are allowed back in the room once the procedure is completed. A nearby waiting area is available for families. As there are no accommodations for young siblings, we ask arrangements be made for them at home.
  8. Once the child recovers from the sedation, the IV will be removed and they may be discharged home if this is an outpatient procedure. Hospitalized children will be taken back to their hospital room.

Sedation cannot be performed if:

  • The child has eaten recently
  • The child has a cough, cold, fever or is vomiting

Contact us

Please call (804) 827-DOZE (3693) Monday through Friday to schedule a pediatric procedural sedation.