Evaluating the safety of procedural sedation in emergency department settings among the pediatric population: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: Our meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the safety of procedural sedation and analgesia in pediatric emergency department (ED) settings by investigating the incidence of cardiac, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurological adverse events associated with different sedation medications.

Methods: In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive database search for randomized controlled trials was performed across ten databases from January 2005 to June 2024. Our inclusion criteria included randomized controlled trials involving children under 18 years old undergoing pediatric sedation and analgesia in the ED.