The effect of sleep on conscious sedation: a follow-up study

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of preoperative sleep on the success of conscious sedation. Seventy-six children, from 18 to 61 months of age, participated in this study. Sixty-two children received chloral hydrate (50-60 mg/kg) and hydroxyzine (15-35 mg) and 14 children received intramuscular meperidine hydrochloride (2.2 mg/kg). Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire which asked several questions about their child's activity the previous day, and their bedtime. The operator ranked the sedations on a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 being good and 4 being poor. The results were statistically evaluated using the Wilcoxon Rank sum test. The children that received a normal amount or greater amount of sleep preoperatively did not show any significantly higher degree of success (p < 0.26) with their sedation appointment. The parents' perception of their child's tiredness did demonstrate borderline (p < 0.08) significance. Children greater than 36 months of age had a significantly higher (p < 0.03) degree of successful sedations. The results of this study demonstrated that there was no clear correlation between the child's preoperative sleep and the outcome of the sedation, but that a tired child may increase the likelihood of a poor sedation. In addition, the child's age at the time of the sedation may affect the outcome of the sedation.