Efficacy of sedation of children with chloral hydrate

Chloral hydrate has been used extensively to sedate children, but at Brooke Army Medical Center, other drug combinations were becoming increasingly popular due to a perception that chloral hydrate had a high rate of failure, especially with younger or neurologically impaired children. Therefore, 50 children were given the drug before a diagnostic study, and patient data and a sedation score were recorded on a worksheet. Of 50 children, 43 (86%) were “successfully sedated” on the first attempt with no side effects. Children with neurologic disorders had a much greater (27% vs 4%) failure rate than “normal” children. The sedation rate did not significantly differ by age, sex, or initial drug dosage. The study suggest that chloral hydrate is a safe and effective oral sedative but that children with neurologic disorders may need alternative drugs for sedation.