Guidelines for the Elective Use of Conscious Sedation, Deep Sedation, and General Anesthesia in Pediatric Patients

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The goals of sedation and general anesthesia in the ambulatory patient are: (1) patient welfare; (2) control of patient behavior; (3) production of positive psychological response to treatment; and (4) return to pretreatment level of consciousness by time of discharge. DEFINITION OF TERMS Terms used in this document are defined as follows: Pediatric patients: Includes all patients who are infants, children, and adolescents less than age of majority. Must or shall: Indicates an imperative need and/or duty; as essential or indispensable; mandatory. Should: Indicates the recommended manner of obtaining the standard; highly desirable. May or could: Indicates freedom or liberty to follow a suggested or reasonable alternative. Conscious sedation: Conscious sedation is a minimally depressed level of consciousness that retains the patient's ability to maintain a patent airway independently and continuously, and respond appropriately to physical stimulation and/or verbal command, eg, "Open your eyes." For the very young or handicapped individual, incapable of the usually expected verbal responses, a minimally depressed level of consciousness for that individual should be maintained. The caveat that loss of consciousness should be unlikely is a particularly important part of the definition of conscious sedation, and the drugs and techniques used should carry a margin of safety wide enough to render unintended loss of consciousness unlikely. Deep sedation: Deep sedation is a controlled state of depressed consciousness or unconsciousness from which the patient is not easily aroused, which may be accompanied by a partial or complete loss of protective reflexes, including the ability to maintain a patent airway independently and respond purposefully to physical stimulation or verbal command.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: