Nausea, dry mouth, and muscle aches are some of the common adverse effects of anesthesia. However, the risks of anesthesia in children are not well studied. This study evaluates the risk of adverse events associated with giving propofol sedation/anesthesia to children for imaging studies in pediatric research.
This retrospective cohort study included a total of 607 children who enrolled in clinical research protocols and required anesthesia for imaging studies. The effect of propofol sedation/anesthesia was evaluated, and the primary outcome of the study was the occurrence of respiratory, cardiovascular, and all anesthesia-related adverse events resulting in an intervention.
The 607 children included in the study received 1,480 propofol anesthetic procedures for imaging studies. The findings indicated that 70% of anesthetics were given to subjects with severe diseases and disabilities. The mean duration of anesthesia was 115 minutes, with airway device being used in 12.5% of the procedures. A total of 98 notable cases of cardiovascular, respiratory, and other events occurred during the study. The incidence rate of the occurrence of adverse events was 534 per 10,000 anesthetic procedures.
The research concluded that the use of sedation/anesthesia in high-risk children was not associated with a high incidence of adverse events or long-term complications.
Ref: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/383318?resultClick=1
