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Procedural pediatric sedation by nurses: available, competent, and safe.
Laetiscia Lavoie1, Catherine Vezina, Emilie Paul-Savoie
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001, 12 Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada J1H 5N4.
International Journal of Pediatrics
|May 12, 2012
Summary
A nurse-led procedural sedation program successfully managed pediatric patients, demonstrating high effectiveness and safety. This approach addresses physician shortages, ensuring timely interventions with minimal complications.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Anesthesiology
- Nursing Practice
- Patient Safety
Background:
- Procedural sedation and analgesia are essential for pediatric interventions and imaging.
- Limited physician availability often hinders timely sedation delivery.
- A nurse-led sedation program was implemented at CHUS to overcome these limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the nurse-led sedation program.
- To assess the safety and complication rates associated with the program.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 555 procedural sedations over one year.
- Categorization of complications into major, reportable events, difficult sedation, and minor events.
- Analysis of patient demographics and procedure success rates.
Main Results:
- 78% of interventions were successfully accomplished.
- 0% major complications, 8% reportable sedation events, 5% difficult sedation, and 9% minor complications.
- 448 pediatric patients (249 boys, 199 girls) received sedation.
Conclusions:
- The nurse-led sedation program is effective and safe for pediatric patients.
- The program demonstrates favorable outcomes compared to similar sedation systems.
- This model effectively addresses challenges in physician availability for procedural sedation.
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