Topical Pharyngeal Anesthesia in Sedated Pediatric Patients Undergoing Esophagogastroduodenoscopy

Pediatric patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) commonly receive procedural sedation for comfort and to facilitate the procedure. EGD with procedural sedation carries the risk of several airway incidents and/or adverse events (AIAE). Topical pharyngeal anesthetics (TPAs) can blunt the airway reflexes and decrease the incidence of laryngospasm but has not been well studied with EGD under procedural sedation. We aimed to study the effect of adding a TPA to propofol-based sedation on the rate of AIAE.

This is a single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study. We compare AIAE rates (coughing, gagging, apnea, airway obstruction, and laryngospasm) in children who received TPA as part of their propofol-based procedural sedation for EGD with those who did not receive TPA.

In 2021, 73 patients received TPA as part of the procedural sedation for EGD and 123 did not. The overall rate of AIAE was high with 75 (38%) patients experiencing 1 or more AIAE. Patients who received benzocaine spray experienced more AIAE than the control group [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.16; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.34; P = 0.037]. Coughing, gagging, apnea with desaturation rates, and laryngospasm were similar in both groups (coughing aOR = 1.01; 95% CI: 0.91-1.13; P = 0.814; gagging aOR = 1.01; 95% CI: 0.91-1.13; P = 0.814; apnea aOR = 0.99; 95% CI: 0.95-1.04; P = 0.688; laryngospasm OR = 1.01; 95% CI: 0.95-1.07; P = 0.71). The rate of airway obstruction requiring jaw thrust was higher in the benzocaine group but did not reach statistical significance (aOR = 1.11; 95% CI: 0.97-1.26; P = 0.133).

The use of topical pharyngeal benzocaine in children undergoing EGD with propofol-based sedation is associated with a higher overall AIAE rate. Most of the AIAE were mild incidents and only 7 patients experienced true adverse events.