Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Guidelines for Elective Pediatric Fiberoptic Intubation
Published on: January 17, 2011
Comparison of propofol-fentanyl with propofol-fentanyl-ketamine combination in pediatric patients undergoing
I Aydin Erden1, A Gulsun Pamuk, Seda B Akinci
1Department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Hacettepe University, Sihhiye, Ankara 06100, Turkey. aydinerden@yahoo.com
Insights
Adding ketamine to propofol and fentanyl sedation for pediatric interventional radiology procedures reduced oxygen desaturation events. This combination also lowered the need for additional propofol, improving patient recovery.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Anesthesiology
- Interventional Radiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Interventional radiology procedures in children are increasing.
- Procedural sedation is crucial for these pediatric interventions.
- Optimizing sedation regimens is essential for patient safety and procedural success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare adverse effects, sedation levels, and recovery in pediatric patients receiving propofol-fentanyl with or without ketamine.
- To test the hypothesis that ketamine addition reduces propofol/fentanyl-induced desaturation.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, double-blinded study of 60 pediatric patients (ASA physical status I-III).
- Group 1: propofol + fentanyl + ketamine.
- Group 2: propofol + fentanyl + saline placebo.
Main Results:
- Oxygen desaturation occurred in 10% of patients receiving ketamine versus 30% without ketamine (P=0.052).
- Fewer patients required supplemental propofol in the ketamine group (40% vs. 70%, P=0.021).
- No significant differences in other side effects, except for nystagmus.
Conclusions:
- Low-dose ketamine added to propofol-fentanyl decreases desaturation risk in pediatric interventional radiology.
- Ketamine addition also reduces the need for supplemental propofol, enhancing sedation efficacy.
Background:
With an increase in the frequency of interventional radiology procedures in pediatrics, there has been a corresponding increase in demand for procedural sedation to facilitate them. The purpose of our study was to compare the frequency of adverse effects, sedation level, patient recovery characteristics in pediatric patients receiving intravenous propofol fentanyl combination with or without ketamine for interventional radiology procedures. Our main hypothesis was that the addition of ketamine would decrease propofol/fentanyl associated desaturation.
Methods And Materials:
Sixty consenting American Society of Anesthesia physical status I-III pediatric patients undergoing interventional radiology procedures under sedation were studied according to a randomized, double-blinded, institutional review board approved protocol. Group 1 received propofol 0.5 mg.kg(-1) + fentanyl 1 microg.kg(-1) + ketamine 0.5 mg.kg(-1), and group 2 received propofol 0.5 mg.kg(-1) + fentanyl 1 microg.kg(-1) + same volume of %0.9 NaCl intravenously.
Results:
While apnea was not observed in any of the groups, there were three cases (10%) in group 1, and nine cases (30%) in group 2 with oxygen desaturation (P = 0.052). In group 1, 12 (40%) patients and, in group 2, 21 (70%) patients required supplemental propofol during the procedure (P = 0.021). There was no evidence for difference between groups in terms of other side effects except nystagmus.
Conclusions:
In conclusion, addition of low dose ketamine to propofol-fentanyl combination decreased the risk of desaturation and it also decreased the need for supplemental propofol dosage in pediatric patients at interventional radiology procedures.
Related Concept Videos
Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview
Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview
General Anesthesia: Overview
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Intravenous Regional Anesthesia
One of the advantages of...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia