Sedation of pediatric patients for nuclear medicine procedures.

Sedation of the pediatric patient for nuclear medicine imaging procedures requires careful planning, patient preparation, and monitoring to ensure patient safety. The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for the safe use of sedation recommend a systematic plan for the use of sedative agents. Elements of the plan include informed consent, a patient pre-sedation health evaluation, monitoring by a cardiopulmonary resuscitation-trained health-care practitioner, and recovery of the patient to the pre-sedation state before discharge. Other considerations include the formation of a sedation committee to monitor the sedation program, as well as provision of adequate space and equipment to monitor and care for patients appropriately. The choice of sedative to be used should be based on a predetermined sedation formulary and the assessment of the patient's physical status according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists' status classification system. Chloral hydrate used at a maximum dosage level of 100 mg/kg is a preferred sedative agent because it provides the widest margin of safety. Implementation of the guidelines provides a coordinated approach to the use of sedation for multiple procedures performed on the same day that require sedation, thus enhancing patient safety and successful completion of all procedures. Adequate resources, including personnel and equipment, are necessary for successful implementation of an adequate sedation program.