Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 16, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Phase I: The development and content analysis of the Pediatric Sedation Agitation Scale

Catherine M Lyden1, Debra Kramlich, Rachel Groves

  • 1Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME, USA.

Pediatric Nursing
|November 30, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Assessing pediatric sedation depth is crucial for critically ill children. The Pediatric Sedation-Agitation Scale (P-SAS) shows content validity, offering a potential tool for better patient care.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
  • Sedation Assessment
  • Clinical Tool Validation

Background:

  • Objective assessment of sedation depth in mechanically ventilated pediatric patients lacks a gold standard.
  • Both over-sedation and under-sedation in these patients pose significant risks, impacting outcomes, satisfaction, and healthcare costs.
  • Existing sedation assessment tools were found inadequate for the study population and clinical setting.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the content validity of the Pediatric Sedation-Agitation Scale (P-SAS).
  • The P-SAS was adapted from the Riker Sedation-Agitation Scale (SAS) for use in pediatric acute care.

Main Methods:

  • A panel of 30 healthcare professionals with expertise in pediatric acute care was convened.
  • The panel analyzed and assessed the content validity of the P-SAS.

Main Results:

  • Expert panel analysis provided strong support for the content validity of the P-SAS.
  • The findings indicate that the P-SAS is a potentially reliable tool for assessing sedation in critically ill children.

Conclusions:

  • The Pediatric Sedation-Agitation Scale (P-SAS) demonstrates content validity.
  • The P-SAS may serve as a valuable objective measure for sedation depth in pediatric patients requiring mechanical ventilation.

Related Concept Videos

Stages of General Anesthesia01:22

Stages of General Anesthesia

Various sedation levels offer significant advantages in facilitating procedural interventions for patients undergoing medical or invasive surgical procedures. These levels span from anxiolysis to general anesthesia, providing a spectrum of sedative effects to cater to specific patient needs. Anxiolysis reduces anxiety and is achieved through minimal sedation, enabling patients to remain awake and responsive while feeling more at ease during the procedure. This level can benefit minor...
Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview01:23

Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview

Sedatives are drugs that alleviate anxiety, while hypnotics induce sleep. Both classes of medication suppress neuronal activity, leading to a calming effect for sedatives and facilitating sleep for hypnotics.
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview01:20

Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview

Inhalation anesthetics are drugs that induce general anesthesia upon inhalation. They work by increasing the sensitivity of GABAA receptors or inhibiting NMDA receptors, leading to a decrease in central nervous system activity. The depth of anesthesia can be rapidly adjusted by changing the concentration of the inhaled gas. Some common examples of inhalational anesthetics include volatile liquids like isoflurane, desflurane, sevoflurane and gases like xenon and nitrous oxide. Isoflurane, a...