Pediatric procedures in endoscopy and radiology: clinical considerations

Pediatric nonoperating room anesthesia (NORA) for gastrointestinal endoscopy and radiologic procedures continues to expand in volume and complexity. Children undergoing these procedures often present with significant comorbidities and require deep sedation or general anesthesia in remote environments with unique logistical and safety challenges. This review synthesizes recent literature relevant to anesthetic care of pediatric patients undergoing endoscopy and diagnostic and interventional radiology.

Contemporary data demonstrate increasing reliance on anesthesiology team-delivered deep sedation or general anesthesia for pediatric gastrointestinal procedures, with ongoing evolution in sedative agents, airway strategies, and oxygen delivery techniques. In pediatric interventional radiology, advances include expanded use of minimally invasive therapies, heightened awareness of procedure-specific anesthetic risks, and emerging roles for regional anesthesia and structured team-based workflows.

Safe anesthetic care for pediatric endoscopy and radiology procedures requires detailed preprocedure planning, familiarity with procedure-specific risks, and close collaboration between anesthesia and procedural teams. Recent evidence supports tailored anesthetic techniques, vigilant airway management, and systematic approaches to mitigate complications in these increasingly complex NORA settings.