Sedation is the use of medicine to help your child relax or fall asleep during a procedure. The medicine may be given by mouth, in the nose with drops or a mist, or in a vein (by I.V.). Depending on why your child is getting sedation, they may also get numbing medicine.
The doctor and nurse will watch your child closely while your child is sedated. They will make sure that your child gets just the right amount of sedative. Your child also will be watched closely after the procedure.
Your child may be unsteady after having sedation. An older child may have trouble walking. A baby may be unsteady when sitting or crawling. It takes time (sometimes a few hours) for the medicine effects to wear off.
It's common for a child to feel sleepy after sedation. A baby might sleep more than usual or be hard to wake up. The doctors and nurses will make sure that your child isn't too sleepy to go home.
You'll get instructions to help you prepare for your child's sedation. They'll include things like if your child needs to stop eating, drinking, or breastfeeding before sedation and when. If your child takes medicine, you'll be told what your child can or can't take before sedation. Follow all the instructions carefully.
Serious problems are rare. They include breathing that slows or stops and an allergic reaction to the medicine.
Some health issues may increase the risk of problems. These include:
Sedation is the use of medicine to help you feel relaxed and comfortable during a procedure. It may be used with numbing medicines. You may be awake and able to talk with your care team. Or you may fall asleep. You might remember little, if any, of the procedure.
Call 911 anytime you think your child may need emergency care. For example, call if:
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
Watch closely for changes in your child's health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
Sedation is usually given in a vein in the arm (intravenously, or I.V.).
It is often used with local or regional anesthesia. The local type numbs a small part of the body. The regional type blocks pain to a larger area of the body.
While you are sedated, a doctor or nurse will watch you closely. They'll make sure you stay safe and comfortable. In some cases, an anesthesia professional may be there during the procedure to help keep you safe. This is often called monitored anesthesia care (MAC).
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