About sedation and ketamine
Certain procedures and treatments may cause pain or distress to your child.
Sedation is a medicine given to make your child sleepy or relaxed, meaning the
procedure can be performed more easily and with less distress for you and your child. Your
child may not remember the procedure at all or only remember small amounts only.
Ketamine is commonly used in hospitals in the UK for sedation in children and is given
by an injection into the leg or vein.
The procedure will be performed in the Children’s area or other area of the emergency department.
How to help your child
Before the procedure
It is helpful for you to talk to your child with some distraction methods (for example –
looking at a book, using imagination to be in a nice place or blowing bubbles).
Try not to be too upset or nervous yourself as your child will notice this.
As the Parent or Guardian you must give consent for the procedure. You need to
understand the reasons for sedation and the following precautions taken:
1. We will monitor your child’s breathing, heart rate and oxygen at all times during
the procedure. There is another place dedicated area to do this.
2. You will need to wait until we are happy your child has fully recovered before you
can take him / her home. Commonly this is at least an hour after the procedure is
finished.
After the procedure
• Remain with your child. Your child may not remember where they are or why they
are in hospital.
Focus on the good things your child did. For example “you did a great job blowing away
the hurt”.
After you go home
Following discharge we would advise:
• Sometimes the delayed effects of the medicines may make your child a bit confused, sleepy or clumsy. You need to be extra careful in caring for and supervising your child for the next 24 hours.
• Do not let your child sleep unattended in a car seat.
• Most children recover within 90 minutes of the procedure. Your child will be safe
to go home when he / she is fully awake, can walk unaided and manage to drink
without vomiting. Once home your child should be closely supervised for the first 8 hours and avoid strenuous play or sporting activity for 24 hours.
• Supervise all playing and bathing for the next 8 hours after getting home. DO NOT let your child swim or use play equipment (bikes, monkey bars etc.) that might cause an accident for the next 24 hours.
• Sometimes children may feel sick or vomit if they eat a big meal too soon after sedation. Give your child small amounts of clear liquids such as diluted fruit juice, ice lollies, jelly, clear soup, etc. and wait two hours before giving your child a meal.
• Let your child sleep. Children may go to sleep again after getting home from the
hospital. Sometimes children may sleep more because of the sedation medicine; this is normal.
• Check on your child’s sleeping pattern the night after getting home. If their sleeping seems heavy or strange then wake him / her up gently. If you cannot wake him / her or something seems very wrong in his / her appearance or breathing, call an ambulance and return
to the hospital immediately.
Your child has had a procedure undertaken using a medicine called Ketamine. You should be extra vigilant for the next 24 hours. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the Emergency Department on 01253 953517.
Return to the Emergency Department immediately if your child’s breathing
appears abnormal, vomit more than once or have any other symptoms about which you
are concerned.
