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Many radiological studies and procedures require children to stay very still for a long period of time. Depending on the children's age and maturity, they may not be able to do this by themselves. Sedation and anesthesiology help us ensure children's safety and cooperation during their radiological study or procedure.
Sedation means that we give children medicine to help them fall asleep before the procedure. We also give medicine to relieve pain when it is needed. Usually, sedation medicine is injected into a vein. It is administered by the specially trained sedation nurse, under the direction of our pediatric hospitalist physicians.
If your child requires sedation, we will contact you before your visit with specific instructions. Generally, sedation is recommended for children who need pain or anxiety control measures, and developmentally delayed children. If you think your child may need sedation, please call us at 312.227.4461. You can also learn more about general preparation for sedation.
A member of our sedation team will call you to talk about your child. We will create a sedation plan based on his or her special needs. Please ask us any questions you may have, and tell us anything you think is important about your child's care.
The average visit for a child receiving sedation is four hours, however this can change based on the needs of your child. Most of the time, children are admitted and discharged on the same day. Each child is assigned their own nurse from the sedation team. A doctor is also in the area at all times.
Your child will sleep as long as is needed to complete the procedure. After it is done, your sedation nurse will decide when to wake your child up based on their personal sedation plan.
Often, children are very sleepy for the rest of the day. The sedation nurse will guide you on the best plan for your child. Most children are not steady on their feet and require supervision.
Feed your child light foods and clear liquids first. Because dizziness and nausea can occur, we recommend staying away from greasy or spicy foods until the next day.
Whether your child will be able to participate in normal physical activities and go to school depends what time of the day your child was sedated and the length on time it takes for the sedation to wear off. Each child is different. Please talk to your sedation nurse during your visit to decide what is best for your child.
