Post-sedation events in pediatric dental patients

Objectives:

Oral conscious sedation enables safe delivery of dental care to uncooperative children. Post-sedation events inchildren are not well researched. The objective of this research project was to investigate the post-sedation events in children sedated for dental treatment at 8 hours and 24 hours after administration of the oral sedative medication.

Methods:

Following LSUHSC IRB approval, this study was conducted in a private practice pediatric dentistry setting. Children in the age range of 2-10 years treatment planed to receive dental care under oral conscious sedation were identified. Their parents were invited to participate in this interview-based research. Informed consent was obtained; parents were contacted by the principal investigator by telephone at 8 hours and at 24 hours post-sedation. The same questions were asked of all participants. The interviews comprised of two 14-item questionnaires. The post-sedation events investigated were sleeping, snoring, vomiting, eating, drinking, fever, use of over the counter medications and irritability or restlessness of the child.

Results:

Parents of 46 children were interviewed. 87% children were sedated with meperidine-hydroxyzine; 13% were sedated with midazolam. The post-sedation events were as follows: 50% of the children slept on the way back home. Of the children that slept, 40% snored. Most children who snored were sedated with meperidine- hydroxyzine. All the children consumed fluids within 8 hours of sedation. 80% of the children consumed solids within 8 hours of sedation. Three children vomited within 8 hours; all these children were sedated with meperidine-hydroxyzine. Three children had fever at 8 hours; none had fever at 24 hours, which was significant at p=0.04.

Conclusions:

The common post-sedation events are sleeping, snoring, fever and vomiting. A higher percentage of children experienced these events in the first 8 hours following sedation. Children sedated with meperidine-hydroxyzine exhibited higher incidence of sleeping, snoring and vomiting.