Distraction during a child’s procedure starts well before the procedure itself. Rick Body explores the child’s and parents’ perspectives, clinicians’ emotions, first impressions and preparation, showing how rapport and a personalised distraction plan fit into care in the paediatric emergency department.
Could intranasal ketamine make procedural sedation less distressing for children? In this 2012 guest post, Alison Robinson appraises a small pilot study, questioning its sedation targets, lack of a control group and repeated blood sampling while acknowledging that the evidence remained inconclusive.
Procedural sedation involves more than choosing a favourite drug. Using contrasting ankle-injury scenarios, this 2012 discussion explores how analgesia, sedation, anxiety relief and amnesia contribute to a plan tailored to the patient's needs and existing medical problems.
Could etomidate offer an alternative for short paediatric procedures? This 2012 appraisal examines a small prospective cohort, questioning patient selection, the absence of a comparison group and the variability in sedation depth and recovery time behind apparently high procedural success.
What is the difference between levobupivacaine and bupivacaine, and does it matter for a child's nerve block? This 2012 discussion explains stereoisomers, examines the evidence behind claims of reduced cardiac toxicity and questions how well adult and animal findings apply to small paediatric doses.
Practical perspectives on trauma care and team leadership.
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