The association of preprocedural anxiety and the success of procedural sedation in children.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between a child's preprocedural state anxiety and the success of sedation.


METHODS
A consecutive sample of children aged 2 through 17 years requiring sedation for a procedure was enrolled. Pain, preprocedural anxiety (range, 0-9), and success of sedation (10=most successful) were measured.


RESULTS
Fifty-nine patients were enrolled. The median age was 7 years. The median anxiety score was 1.0 (interquartile ratio, 0-3). Pain and anxiety were weakly correlated (r=.21, P>.10). The mean sedation score was 7.8 (+/-2.2). Preprocedural anxiety and successful sedation were inversely correlated (r=-0.31, P=.002). Sedation was successful in 81% of children with anxiety scores below the median and 52% with anxiety scores above the median (P=.02). Children with low anxiety were 3.8 times more likely to be successfully sedated (95% confidence interval, 1.19-12.14).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that preprocedural state anxiety is associated with the success of sedation in children.
Schreiber
Kevin M
KM
Department of Pediatrics (Emergency Medicine), Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
Cunningham
Sandra J
SJ
Kunkov
Sergey
S
Crain
Ellen F
EF
D000293:Adolescent; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019937:Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures / Q000523:psychology*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010372:Pediatrics; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives