Sedation Pamphlet

Your child is scheduled for a test in Medical Imaging or a minor procedure in Day Medicine. Since this type of exam requires your child to be very still to ensure clear pictures and no movement during the procedure, your child’s doctor and the Sedation Team may require your child to have sedation during the test.

Goals for Your Child’s Care

Our staff understands that the experience of having your child sedated for a test can be quite stressful. Receiving information about the plan of care can be reassuring. Some of the medical team’s reasons to recommend sedation include your child’s age, development, and comfort level. Young children, children who are developmentally delayed, or older children who are claustrophobic may require sedation.

Pre-procedure Call

To reassure you and lessen some of that stress, we believe that a child receives the best care when these discussions can occur before the appointment time. As part of the process for a procedure, you will receive a call before your appointment from a Sedation Nurse. When you speak to the Sedation Nurse, you will be asked about your child’s medical history and told how to prepare for the appointment. During that call, the nurse will explain feeding instructions and ask about any health conditions that your child may have. Any questions that you have can also be discussed during this call. This sharing of information provides each of us with facts to make the procedure as safe as possible. Three important things to note:

• Report any drug allergies, medications, breathing problems and previous sedation history to the Sedation Nurse during the call.
• Please reschedule the appointment if your child has been sick and without signs of improvement, and if the procedure is not urgent.
• The risks involved with sedation are minimal but the possibility of an allergic reaction or respiratory problems do exist. Please know that the Sedation Team is prepared to handle any medical problems that may arise during sedation. If you have any questions concerning this process please call the Nurse Manager at 302 651-4610.