[Pediatricians' opinion on sedation in children]

Our objective was t evaluate the current knowledge and attitudes of pediatricians regarding the issue of pediatric sedation.

In October 1996 we conducted a mail survey of all 686 members of the Asturias, Cantabria and Castilla y Leon Pediatric Society. Physicians were asked to complete and return a confidential 18-item questionnaire.

One hundred fifty-seven (23%) of the eligible physicians responded. Of the responding physicians, 90% agreed that they had insufficient training in pain and sedation management. Seventeen percent thought childhood sedation to be very effective, 76% effective and 7% little effective. Fifty-nine percent thought infant sedation was easy and 36% considered it to be difficult. Thirty-six percent of the pediatricians who work in hospitals considered the cooperation of children under 8 to be good versus only 17% of the primary attention pediatricians (p < 0.05). Thirty-nine percent thought that it was only necessary on some occasions that the parents are present when the child is sedated before surgery. Forty-eight percent of the male pediatricians considered that sedation was always or almost always indicated versus 67% of the female pediatricians (p < 0.05). The most used sedative drugs are midazolam (24%), diazepam (23%) and chloral hydrate (14%). Eleven percent indicated that it was necessary to monitor cardiorespiratory function and oxygen saturation during sedation.

Pediatricians in this Society seem to have a lack of knowledge concerning sedation of their patients. Training in childhood sedation is needed.