VWY Au Yeung, WKL Yam, KP Lee

Abstract

A retrospective study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness and safety of a sedation protocol with pethidine and midazolam for ultrasound-guided percutaneous renal biopsy in 64 paediatric cases in a regional hospital from 1 July 1998 to 30 June 2005. Forty-nine (77%) patients were successfully sedated with pethidine and midazolam (group A). The mean dose of pethidine for group A patients was 0.56 mg/kg while that of midazolam was 0.21 mg/kg. Fifteen (23%) patients required ketamine in addition to pethidine and midazolam (group B). Both age (student's t test, p<0.0001) and sex (chi square test, p<0.025) were statistical significantly associated with the use of ketamine using univariate analysis. Group B patients (range 2-14 y.o., mean = 6.6 y.o.) were younger (p<0.05) than group A patients (range 3-18.5 y.o., mean age = 11.6 y.o.). The percentages of transient oxygen desaturation were 2% for group A and 13.3% for group B, this difference was not statistically significant (Fisher's exact test, p=0.134). In conclusion, the combination of intravenous pethidine and midazolam was an effective and safe sedation protocol for ultrasound-guided percutaneous renal biopsy in children.