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Clinical effects of nitrous oxide conscious sedation in children

Milton I Houpt1, Robert Limb, Richard L Livingston

  • 1Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-New Jersey Dental School, Newark, NJ, USA. houpt@umdnj.edu

Pediatric Dentistry
|April 15, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Nitrous oxide conscious sedation in children shows observable effects like open hands and smiles, with most liking the experience. This common dental sedation method slightly impacts children's psychomotor skills.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Conscious Sedation
  • Anesthesiology

Background:

  • Nitrous oxide (N2O) is frequently used for conscious sedation in pediatric dental procedures.
  • Understanding its clinical effects and impact on behavior is crucial for effective patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the clinical effects and behavioral changes in children undergoing dental treatment with nitrous oxide conscious sedation.
  • To assess the impact of 50% nitrous oxide on psychomotor performance and subjective feelings in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Fifty-nine healthy children (ages 4-13) received 50% nitrous oxide sedation for dental restorative treatment.
  • Behavioral observations, psychomotor testing (Bender Gestalt Test), and subjective feeling reports were recorded before and after sedation.

Main Results:

  • Common sedation effects included open hands (90%), limp legs (81%), and facial smiles (66%).
  • Ninety-five percent of children liked the nitrous oxide, with 86% reporting feeling "different".
  • Psychomotor performance showed a slight increase in errors post-sedation (75% had ≤2 initial errors vs. ≤5 errors with N2O).

Conclusions:

  • Observable clinical signs and subjective symptoms are associated with nitrous oxide conscious sedation in children.
  • A 50% concentration of nitrous oxide demonstrates a small but statistically significant effect on children's psychomotor abilities.
Abstract

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