Efficacy, safety and satisfaction of sedation-analgesia in Spanish emergency departments

Objectives: To offer analgesia and sedation should be a priority in paediatric emergency departments. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness and safety of the sedation-analgesia procedure, as well as the satisfaction of the doctors, patients and parents. Methods: A multicentre, observational, and prospective analytical study was conducted on the sedation-analgesia procedure performed on children younger than 18 years old in 18 paediatric emergency departments in Spain from February 2015 until January 2016. Results: A total of 658 procedures were recorded. The effectiveness was good in 483 cases (76.1%; 95% CI: 72.7–79.4%), partial in 138 (21.7%; 95% CI: 18.5–24.9%), and poor in 14 (2.2%; 95% CI: 1.1–3.4). The effectiveness was better when the doctor in charge was an emergency paediatrician (OR: 3.14; 95% CI: 1.10–8.95), and when a deeper level of sedation was achieved (OR: 2.37; 95% CI: 1.68–3.35). Fifty two children (8.4%) developed adverse drug reactions, more usually gastrointestinal, neurological or respiratory ones (89.9% were resolved in