title: Sedation in pediatric dentistry: a practical assessment procedure.
abstract: An assessment model for evaluating sedation in pediatric dental patients has been described. The model in whole or in part can be a valuable asset in drug trials and clinical evaluations. The unique characteristics of this model include: assessments are easily and quickly carried out without interruption of normal patient care; the criteria for sedation behavior can be standardized and are clinically relevant; a determination of the level of consciousness using an airway obstruction maneuver permits an assessment of safety; and the reliability of the observer ratings is extremely high, thereby avoiding the necessity of specially trained personnel. Using the assessment procedure, a placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of various doses of chloral hydrate with and without N2O was performed. The results indicate that: children receiving the placebo treatment behaved favorably for at least 46% of the ratings; the 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg chloral hydrate groups showed little or no improvement when compared with the placebo group; the group receiving 60 mg/kg chloral hydrate had as much as a 33% improvement in behavior as compared with placebo; and with the addition of 40% N2O/60% O2 to 60 mg/kg chloral hydrate premedication, four of 15 children (27%) were unable to maintain a patent airway when intentionally obstructed.
mesh_terms: D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000379:methods*; D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002697:Chloral Hydrate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003299:Cooperative Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010919:Placebos; D012119:Respiration
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D002697:Chloral Hydrate; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D010100:Oxygen