title: [Safety and effectiveness of nitrous oxide for sedation-analgesia in emergency departments].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to assess the safety and the effectiveness (analysing the behaviour of the patient) with the use of nitrous oxide during the performance of painful procedures in the Paediatric Emergency Departments (PED); secondary objectives: to evaluate the manageability of the method and its acceptance by both the medical team and the patient.
  
  
  METHODS
  Post-marketing observational, prospective, multicentre, non-randomised and open (November 2007-December 2008) study, which involved seven national PED. We included patients between 2 and 18 years-old on whom a painful procedure was performed in the PED and nitrous oxide was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total 213 patients were included (27,2% < 5 years). Patient behaviour was considered «good/very good» in 79,7%, with no statistically significant difference in relation to the procedure performed. Patient behaviour was more often classified as «bad/accept with difficulty» among those < 5 years (33.3% vs 15.1%, P=.006). Adverse events occurred in 17 cases (7.9%), with no significant difference in the rate in relation to the age, fasting or not or in association with other drugs; the most frequent were dizziness and/or headache (10), followed by vomiting (3). The administration was considered easy by the medical team in the 96.6% of the cases. Parents would accept the use of nitrous oxide in their child in a similar situation in 92.7% of the cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administration of nitrous oxide achieves proper sedation and analgesia during painful procedures, especially in children older than 5 years. Adverse events reported were few, mild and expected. Most parents would accept its use again in a similar situation.
authors: Servicio de Urgencias de Pediatría, Hospital de Cruces, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, España. borja.gomezcortes@osakidetza.net
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Gómez
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Capapé
authors: F J
authors: FJ
authors: Benito
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Landa
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Fernández
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Luaces
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Serrano
authors: M C
authors: MC
authors: Freijó
authors: M E
authors: ME
authors: May
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Aldecoa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000698:Analgesia; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016292:Procedural Sedation; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D009609:Nitrous Oxide