A SURVEY OF PENTOBARBITAL SEDATION FOR CHILDREN UNDERGOING ABDOMINAL CT SCANS AFTER ORAL CONTRAST-MEDIUM

Radiologists have traditionally been responsible for the sedation of c hildren undergoing radiological investigations. Anaesthetists are beco ming increasingly involved in providing sedation and/or anaesthesia in this environment. The sedation of a child for a CT scan who has recen tly been given oral contrast medium (OCM) may pose anaesthetists a num ber of dilemmas. This is a retrospective survey of 149 intravenous pen tobarbital sedations administered by radiologists to children (age ran ge three months to seven years three months, weight range 5 kg to 28.9 kg) undergoing upper abdominal CT after recent ingestion of OCM. The average patient received pentobarbital 4.6 mg.kg(-1). 141 patients (94 .6%) received pentobarbital as the only sedative agent, whereas eight patients (5.4%) required supplementary sedation (midazolam +/- fentany l). There were no failed sedations. 36 complications occurred during 2 2 sedations (14.7% of total), with the most common being desaturation, vomiting, airway secretions, airway obstruction, coughing and broncho spasm.