Pediatric Sedation

Wellstar Children’s of Georgia performs sedation to help calm young patients who are having specific imaging tests such as MRIs or minor surgical procedures in outpatient settings or in the hospital. Our team is made up of pediatric specialists who are trained to provide sedation to children without intubation.

It is important for your child to feel at ease when receiving care and for you to feel they are comfortable and safe. Sedation also helps babies and children with special needs stay still during the test or procedure. Our goal is to accurately complete tests and procedures and supply timely diagnostic information to referring physicians.

Pediatric sedation is available at Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia and Wellstar Pediatric Center. Sedation services are offered for children having procedures including:

• Radiological tests (such as pediatric MRI)
• Pediatric CT scans (Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia only)
• Nuclear medicine studies (Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia only)
• Invasive diagnostic procedures

Safety guidelines

Safety is the primary concern when administering sedation to young patients. The following guidelines address key factors in preparing your child for sedation.

Acute illness

If your child has a fever, cold, pneumonia, vomiting, wheezing or diarrhea two days before the test, they should not be sedated. Please contact your referring physician and reschedule the procedure.

Age limits

Pediatric sedation services at Wellstar can provide care for most young patients. Your child may require a higher level of care if they were born premature and have not reached their first birthday, or if your child has complex medical concerns. If a higher level of care is warranted, they will require a pediatric anesthesiologist or general anesthesia services in a surgery center or hospital setting.

Chronic illness

Pediatric sedation services at Wellstar can provide care for most children. However, this type of sedation may not be suitable for some children because of chronic illness, including children who are oxygen-dependent or those with chronic respiratory problems or congenital heart disease.

Eating/drinking safety guidelines

To sedate your child safely, it is important that you strictly follow the rules regarding fasting. Failure to follow these guidelines puts your child at risk of aspiration (inhaling food or water into the lungs) and is the most common reason tests are cancelled.

Routine medications

Children with special medication needs (such as anti-seizure medications) may take their medicine two hours prior to test with a small sip of water.

What to Expect 

Before the test

You will receive a phone call the week before your child’s procedure. This will address any questions you may have and will help you prepare your child for a successful and safe sedation.

On the day of the test

1. Report to the location of your child’s test or procedure one hour before the scheduled time. This allows time for registration and pre-sedation preparation.
2. The pediatric sedation team will meet with you and your child to begin the evaluation. This includes:
   • Review of your child’s health history
   • Giving your child a limited physical exam
   • Discussing the sedation process
3. The IV will be placed.
4. There will be a review of the consent form and the opportunity to ask questions.
5. Your child will then proceed with our pediatric sedation team to the area where the test or procedure will be performed. During the procedure, you can wait in a comfortable waiting area.
6. At the conclusion of the test, the sedating agent will be discontinued and your child will be transported to the recovery area and monitored until they are ready for a safe discharge home.

Going home

In most cases, our young patients meet criteria for discharge within an hour of sedation. The nurse assisting with the pre-sedation evaluation will provide more specific guidelines based on patient safety standards.

Have questions?

We are available to answer any questions about sedation guidelines and your child’s procedure. Call if you need further information concerning your child’s sedation procedure.