Sedation/Procedure Room

Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach has a Sedation/Procedure Room, with full anesthetizing and monitoring capabilities outside of the main operating room suite, giving physicians and families easy access to their child. The room is appropriate for procedures that could be performed in a doctor's office/procedure room if deep sedation or general anesthesia were not needed. These procedures may be required as part of the diagnostic work up or treatment.

The Sedation/Procedure room is used primarily by gastroenterologists, PICU intensivists and care team members from hematology/oncology. The most common procedures are:

• PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line placement
• Gastroenterology procedures (e.g., colonoscopy, endoscopy)
• Lumbar puncture
• Bone marrow aspirations

Parents should inform a member of their child’s health care team if their child comes down with a minor illness before the procedure. Sometimes, minor illnesses, such as colds and allergies, can cause the postponement of the procedure, because of the effects of the sedation/anesthesia with a child that is ill. If a procedure is postponed, a follow-up date will be selected after the child is fully recovered.

Dedicated Care Team

A dedicated procedure room care team is available for each procedure. Generally each procedure has a physician, nurse and child life specialist available to care for the child and the family. Child life specialists are an important part of the sedation and procedure room care team as they help explain procedures/tests to children. This reduces anxieties and fears and helps them and their family copes with being at the hospital.

One parent can be with the child in the procedure room during anesthesia. The child life specialist usually escorts the parent out of the room, once the procedure is ready to begin.

Wake Up and Recovery

The parent will wait in the waiting area, until their child wakes up. At this time the child will be in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), where the parent can rejoin their child. Children are closely observed and intensely monitored as they emerge from sedation/anesthesia and a parent is encouraged to be at the bedside.

Most children need to be awake, alert and drinking fluids before they are discharged. It is also important for you as a parent to feel comfortable with the discharge process. A nurse will speak with you and provide instructions for the child’s at-home care.  Parents are encouraged to ask questions at this time.