Safety and Efficacy of a Propofol and Ketamine Based Procedural Sedation Protocol in Children with Cerebral Palsy Undergoing Botulinum Toxin A Injections.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric patients with cerebral palsy often undergo intramuscular botulinum toxin (BoNT-A) injections. These injections can be painful and may require procedural sedation. An ideal sedation protocol has yet to be elucidated. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the safety and efficacy of a propofol and ketamine based sedation protocol in pediatric patients with cerebral palsy requiring BoNT-A injections. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: The sedations took place in a procedural sedation suite at a tertiary children's hospital from February 2013 through September 2017. PATIENTS: 164 patients with diagnoses of cerebral palsy undergoing propofol and ketamine based sedation for injections with botulinum toxin A. METHODS: An initial bolus of 0.5 mg/kg ketamine followed by a 2 mg/kg bolus of propofol was administered with supplemental boluses of propofol as needed to achieve deep sedation during the intramuscular BoNT-A injections. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Propofol dosages, adverse events, serious adverse events, and sedation time parameters were reviewed. RESULTS: 345 sedations were successfully performed on 164 patients. The median total dose of propofol was 4.7 mg/kg (interquartile range [IQR]: 3.5, 6.3). Adverse events were encountered in 10.1% of procedures including hypoxemia responsive to supplemental oxygen (9.6%) and transient apnea (1.4%). The mean procedure time, recovery time, and total sedation time were 10, 11 and 33 minutes, respectively. With regard to patient variables, including age, weight, dose of propofol, sedation time, and Gross Motor Function Classification System classification, there was no association with increased incidence of adverse events. CONCLUSION: Our sedation protocol of propofol and ketamine is safe and effective in children with cerebral palsy undergoing procedural sedation for intramuscular injections with BoNT-A. The adverse events encountered appeared to be related to airway and respiratory complications secondary to musculoskeletal deformities, emphasizing the importance of airway monitoring and management in these patients. LEVEL: IV.

Intensivist-based deep sedation using propofol for pediatric outpatient flexible bronchoscopy.

AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of sedating pediatric patients for outpatient flexible bronchoscopy. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted for all children, age 17 years or under who underwent flexible bronchoscopy under deep sedation in an outpatient hospital-based setting. Two sedation regimens were used; propofol only or ketamine prior to propofol. Patients were divided into three age groups; infants (less than 12 mo), toddlers (1-3 years) and children (4-17 years). Demographics, indication for bronchoscopy, sedative dosing, sedation and recovery time and adverse events were reviewed. RESULTS: Of the total 458 bronchoscopies performed, propofol only regimen was used in 337 (74%) while propofol and ketamine was used in 121 (26%). About 99% of the procedures were successfully completed. Children in the propofol + ketamine group tend to be younger and have lower weight compared to the propofol only group. Adverse events including transient hypoxemia and hypotension occurred in 8% and 24% respectively. Median procedure time was 10 min while the median discharge time was 35 min. There were no differences in the indication of the procedure, propofol dose, procedure or recovery time in either sedative regimen. When compared to other age groups, infants had a higher incidence of hypoxemia. CONCLUSION: Children can be effectively sedated for outpatient flexible bronchoscopy with high rate of success. This procedure should be performed under vigilance of highly trained providers.

The addition of internists to a breast health program.

With the increases in complexity of care for breast health concerns, there is a growing need for efficient and effective clinical evaluation, especially for vulnerable populations at risk for poor outcomes. The Breast Health Center at Boston Medical Center is a multidisciplinary program, with internists providing care alongside breast surgeons, radiologists, and patient navigators. Using a triage system previously shown to have high provider and patient satisfaction, and the ability to provide timely care, patients are assigned to either a breast surgeon or internist. From 2007 to 2009, internists cared for 2,408 women, representing half of all referrals. Women served were diverse in terms of race (33% black, 30% Hispanic, 5% Asian), language (34% require language interpreter), and insurance status (51% had no insurance or public insurance). Most presented with an abnormal screen (breast examination 54% or imaging 4%) while the remainder were seen for symptoms such as pain (26%), non-bloody nipple discharge (4%), or risk assessment (7%). A majority of final diagnoses were made through clinical evaluation alone (n = 1,760, 73%), without the need for additional diagnostic imaging or tissue sampling; 9% (n = 214) received a benign diagnosis with the aid of breast imaging; 19% (n = 463) required tissue sampling. Only 4% went on to see a breast surgeon. Internists diagnosed 15 incident cancers with a median time to diagnosis of 19 days. Patient and provider satisfaction was high. These data suggest that a group of appropriately trained internists can provide quality breast care to a vulnerable population in a multidisciplinary setting. Replication of this model requires the availability of more clinical training programs for non-surgical providers.