Korean guidelines for pediatric procedural sedation.

Abstract

Safe and effective pediatric sedation depends on multiple factors, including the precise selection of sedative agents, provider expertise, availability of age-appropriate monitoring equipment, and the patients' individual circumstances. These revised clinical practice guidelines, developed by the Korean Society of Pediatric Anesthesiologists, aim to promote safe and effective pediatric sedation across diverse clinical settings in Korea, thereby enhancing patient safety and standardizing care. These guidelines represent a comprehensive update to the first edition published in 2017, systematically revised through an expert consensus model to reflect the rapidly evolving clinical landscape. The revision prioritized clinical utility and consistency, incorporating the latest pharmacological and technological advancements, while optimizing the content for practical bedside use. Key recommendations cover the entire sedation continuum, including the identification of qualified providers, pre-sedation patient evaluation and fasting requirements, age-specific risk assessment, monitoring of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, level of sedation, management of respiratory complications, and structured discharge criteria. These recommendations are intended to guide healthcare providers and guardians in sedation-related decision-making for various diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Depending on the clinical needs and institutional limitations of the primary, secondary, and tertiary care facilities, sedation providers may apply these recommendations directly, adapt them to their specific environments, or use them as a foundational framework for internal protocols.