Below is a news release on a clinical report appearing in the December issue of Pediatrics, the peer-reviewed, scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). To receive the full text of this report, please contact the AAP Department of Communications.

For Release: December 4, 2006, 12:01 am (ET)

CHICAGO - The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) today announced joint guidelines for all medical and dental practitioners regarding the monitoring and management of pediatric patients during and after sedation.

“As the trend toward more outpatient procedures grows and sedation becomes more common outside of hospital environments, uniform standards are important to ensure consistent care and child safety,” said AAP President Jay E. Berkelhamer, MD, FAAP.

The sedation of children is different from the sedation of adults. Children often require deeper levels of sedation to control their behavior for safe completion of a procedure, and they are particularly vulnerable to the physiological effects of sedating medications. The close monitoring of a child during and following procedures that require sedating medications is critical for patient safety.

“Pediatric sedation requires specific training and skills – and all practitioners who sedate children need these proficiencies,” says Dr. Phil Hunke, President of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

The guidelines recommend:

• No administration of sedating medications without the safety net of medical supervision
• Careful presedation evaluation for underlying medical or surgical conditions that would place the child at increased risk from sedating medications
• Appropriate fasting for elective procedures and a balance between depth of sedation and risk for those who are unable to fast because of the urgent nature of the procedure
• A clear understanding of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of the medications used for sedation as well as an appreciation for drug interactions
• Appropriate training and skills in airway management to allow rescue of the patient should there be an adverse response
• Age- and size-appropriate equipment for airway management and venous access, appropriate medications and reversal agents
• Sufficient numbers of staff to both carry out the procedure and monitor the patient during and after the procedure
• Appropriate physiologic monitoring during and after the procedure
• A properly equipped and staffed recovery area, recovery to presedation level of consciousness before discharge from medical supervision, and appropriate discharge instructions
  

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.