[Sedation in ambulatory BERA (brainstem electric response audiometry) studies in childhood]

We use BERA to determine the hearing threshold of children. This examination is most of the time performed on outpatients and often combined with a minor surgery. That's the reason why a sedation has to fulfill following conditions: 1. a quick, non-traumatic induction of anaesthesia--normally--without premedication; 2. an anesthesia deep enough to enable us to carry out a minor surgery as well as to get the best reliable BERA results; 3. a short period of wake-up as the patient should leave the hospital as soon as possible. In short, we got the best results first using Halothane as inhalant for the minor surgery and continuing with Midazolam as i.v. sedative for BERA examination.