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Is procedural sedation with propofol acceptable for complex imaging? A comparison of short vs. prolonged sedations in

Mark A Griffiths1, Pradip P Kamat, Courtney E McCracken

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 1645 Tullie Circle, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA, magriff@emory.edu.

Pediatric Radiology
|May 8, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Prolonged propofol sedation for outpatient pediatric imaging is safe and effective, comparable to shorter durations. Non-anesthesiologist providers can manage these cases without increased interventions or resource use.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sedation
  • Medical Imaging
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Concerns exist regarding prolonged propofol sedation for outpatient procedures by non-anesthesiologist providers.
  • The appropriateness of extended sedation durations requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare interventions, completion rates, and resource use between prolonged (≥1 hour) and short (<1 hour) propofol sedations in outpatients.
  • To evaluate the safety and efficacy of extended propofol sedation for pediatric imaging.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 213 children receiving propofol sedation by a non-anesthesiologist service.
  • Comparison of cohorts based on sedation duration (≥1 hour vs. <1 hour).
  • Analysis of intervention needs, sedation duration, discharge time, and procedural completion.

Main Results:

  • Most sedations were for MRI (87.5% short vs. 94.5% prolonged).
  • No statistically significant difference in overall interventions (75.2% prolonged vs. 65.4% short) or completion to discharge times.
  • One child failed to complete the scan; no endotracheal intubation or unplanned admissions occurred.

Conclusions:

  • Prolonged propofol sedation by trained non-anesthesiology providers is effective for imaging procedures.
  • No increase in interventions or resource burden was observed compared to short sedations.
  • Findings support guidelines for extended pediatric propofol sedation in outpatient settings.
Abstract

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