%0 Journal Article
%T Pediatric Sedation: A Global Challenge
%A David Gozal
%A Keira P. Mason
%J International Journal of Pediatrics
%D 2010
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2010/701257
%X Pediatric sedation is a challenge which spans all continents and has grown to encompass specialties outside of anesthesia, radiology and emergency medicine. All sedatives are not universally available and local and national regulations often limit the sedation practice to specific agents and those with specific credentials. Some specialties have established certification and credentials for sedation delivery whereas most have not. Some of the relevant sedation guidelines and recommendations of specialty organizations worldwide will be explored. The challenge facing sedation care providers moving forward in the 21st century will be to determine how to apply the local, regional and national guidelines to the individual sedation practices. A greater challenge, perhaps impossible, will be to determine whether the sedation community can come together worldwide to develop standards, guidelines and recommendations for safe sedation practice. 1. Introduction Pediatric sedation is a challenge which spans all continents. Over the past decade, sedation has grown to encompass specialties outside of anesthesia, radiology, and emergency medicine. Until the 1990s, sedation in the United States was limited predominantly to delivery by anesthesiologists, radiologists, dental medicine, and emergency medicine physicians. It now encompasses other specialties which include gastroenterology, intensive care medicine, hospital medicine, pediatric medicine, and nursing [1¨C3]. Worldwide, however, the majority of pediatric sedation is still administered by anesthesiologists. All sedatives are not universally available and local and national regulations often limit the sedation practice to specific agents and those with specific credentials. Some specialties have established certification and credentials for sedation delivery whereas most have not [4¨C10]. The challenge is that there is no standardization of sedation practice, guidelines, and credentialing: Many specialties have guidelines and recommendations for their own practice, which may in fact contradict the guidelines set forth by other specialty societies [5, 11¨C13]. The challenge facing sedation care providers moving forward in the 21st century will be to determine how to apply the local, regional, and national guidelines to the individual sedation practices. A greater challenge, perhaps impossible, will be to determine whether the sedation community can come together worldwide to develop standards, guidelines, and recommendations for safe sedation practice. Some of the relevant sedation guidelines and recommendations of
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijpedi/2010/701257/