Pediatric pain control and conscious sedation: a survey of emergency medicine residencies.

Objective: To determine the availability and relative use of pediatric analgesia and sedation at sites of U.S. emergency medicine residency training programs.

Methods: A mail/telephone survey of residency directors at 80 U.S. emergency medicine residencies regarding resident experience with pediatric analgesia and sedation for painful procedures conducted during November 1991.

Results: Sixty of 80 surveys (75%) were completed and available for analysis. Emergency medicine faculty supervised conscious sedation and analgesia in 87% of responding programs, while pediatrics faculty and pediatrics-emergency medicine fellows supervised in the remainder. Ninety-three percent of the programs had sedating agents available in the emergency department; only four programs needed to have drugs brought from the pharmacy. Thirty-four programs (57%) had formal protocols for the administration of these drugs. Seventy-seven percent of the programs had airway resuscitation equipment at the bedside, while only 63% brought resuscitation drugs. However, 60% of the programs reported complications of sedation, including respiratory depression, prolonged sedation, agitation, and vomiting. The most commonly used agents were midazolam (82%), meperidine alone (68%) and with promethazine and chlorpromazine (67%), and chloral hydrate (67%). Only 25% of the programs used nitrous oxide, and 30% used ketamine.

Conclusions: Emergency medicine residencies generally have available agents for pain control and conscious sedation in children, although the agents used vary widely. Appropriate instruction by trained faculty should enhance resident experience with pediatric pain control and sedation.