The Effectiveness and Side Effects of Conscious Sedation using Chloral hydrate, Hydroxyzine, and Nitrous oxide

This retrospective study assessed the effectiveness and side effects of conscious sedation using chloral hydrate, hydroxyzine, and N2O/O2 in the sedation of 149 pediatric patients over 188 sedation sessions, and to identify associated variables. The effectiveness of the sedation was evaluated using the Houpt scale, and was considered effective for scale categories of excellent or good. Effectiveness and side effects were assessed every 15 minutes. The effectiveness decreased and side effects increased over time. The effectiveness of sedation during 60 minutes was 57.4%, and one or more side effects occurred in 18.1% of sessions. Effectiveness of sedation increased with body mass index (BMI). When patients were sedated at the beginning of the procedure, the effectiveness was greater. Side effects increased with patient age. When sedation was divided into two sessions, the number of sedation did not affect the effectiveness or side effects. It can be suggested that sedation should be performed over two separate sessions, as a single prolonged session may lead to reduced effectiveness and increased side effects. To maximize effectiveness and minimize side effects, several variables such as BMI, whether to sedate at the beginning of the procedure and age should be considered thoroughly before sedation.