Procedural Sedation

What to Expect

Procedural sedation may be used while your child is undergoing a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure at Riley Children's Health. The goal is to keep the experience as stress-free and pain-free as possible.

A sedation team that is led by a pediatric intensivist and includes a sedation nurse develops an overall sedation plan for your child's procedure or treatment. The intensivist is a doctor who will administer medicine to keep your child comfortable throughout the procedure while monitoring vital signs to ensure his or her well-being. Patients must be referred to intensivists for sedation from another subspecialty. The team guides you and your child through the visit, and the same staff members are with your child throughout the experience.

A team member will discuss any potential side effects with you when the sedation is scheduled. You receive information and instructions at several points, including at the time the procedure is scheduled, at admission and before the administration of any medicine.

The team uses medicines and delivery methods that allow your child to have a more natural sleep state, so general anesthesia and a breathing device are typically not needed. In most cases, medicines are administered through an intravenous (IV) line, but they can also be given orally (by mouth) or intranasally (through the nose).

Once your child is awake and back to a baseline (normal) state, he or she typically is ready for discharge with detailed instructions for the caregiver.

Key Points to Remember

• Procedural sedation is the administration of medicines to reduce awareness, anxiety, pain and discomfort during medical care to keep your child's experience as stress-free and pain-free as possible.
• The medicines and delivery methods used by the sedation team create a more natural sleep state, so general anesthesia and a breathing device are typically not required.
• The sedation team stays with your child throughout the procedure to monitor vital signs and ensure his or her well-being.
• Once your child is awake and back to a baseline (normal) state, he or she typically is ready for discharge with detailed instructions for the caregiver.