Efficacy, safety, and cost of intravenous sedation versus general anesthesia in children undergoing endoscopic procedures.

We prospectively evaluated 226 patients under 18 years of age who underwent 296 procedures, and intravenous sedation and general anesthesia were compared in regard to efficacy, safety, and cost. Children 6 to 9 years of age required the highest doses of midazolam (0.14 +/- 0.