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Oral meperidine, atropine, and pentobarbital for pediatric conscious sedation

C W Winn1, A G Porter, R N Vincent

  • 1Sibley Heart Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Pediatric Nursing
|May 25, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Oral meperidine, atropine, and pentobarbital effectively sedated pediatric patients for cardiac catheterization. This combination demonstrated safety and efficacy, with complications primarily linked to additional sedation during procedures.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Anesthesiology
  • Cardiology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Conscious sedation is crucial for pediatric procedures like cardiac catheterization.
  • Optimizing sedation protocols ensures patient safety and procedural success.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of oral meperidine, atropine, and pentobarbital for pediatric conscious sedation.
  • To assess the incidence of over-sedation with standard weight-based dosing.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 63 pediatric patients (6 months to 23 years) undergoing outpatient cardiac catheterization.
  • Patients received an oral premedication of meperidine, atropine, and pentobarbital.
  • Analysis focused on sedation effectiveness and complications of over-sedation.

Main Results:

  • 76% of patients achieved adequate sedation upon arrival for catheterization.
  • 48% required no additional sedation during the procedure.
  • Complications (4.8%) occurred only in patients who received extra sedation.

Conclusions:

  • Oral meperidine, atropine, and pentobarbital is a safe and effective premedication for pediatric cardiac catheterization.
  • Standard weight-based dosing is appropriate for this combination.
  • Careful monitoring is advised, especially if additional sedation is required.
Abstract

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