Sedation for Short Hemato-Oncologic Invasive Procedures in Children: Comparison of Propofol-Remifentanil and Propofol-Fentanyl

Introduction: Short hemato-oncologic procedures are often painful in children, and sedation should be performed outside the operating room. Aim: The study aims to compare the effects of remifentanil with those of fentanyl administered during short hemato-oncologic interventions in children. Materials and Methods: A prospective, randomized study was planned for 29 ASA I to III children (aged, 2 to 18 y) to undergo a total of 60 short oncologic interventions. The patients were placed into 2 groups: propofol-remifentanil (group PR) and propofol-fentanyl (group PF). Group PR was first administered propofol (2 mg/kg) and then remifentanil bolus (0.5 mu g/kg). Group PF was first administered propofol (2 mg/kg) and then fentanyl bolus (0.5 mu g/kg). Systolic arterial pressure, diastolic arterial pressure, mean arterial pressure, respiratory rate, peripheral oxygen saturation, and heart rate were recorded every 3 minutes during the intervention and every 5 minutes after the operation. Postanesthetic recovery scores, eye-opening time to speech, and recovery time were recorded. Results: Comparison of diastolic arterial pressure in groups at minute 3 of the procedure showed significant difference (P<0.05). Eye-opening to speech (P=0.043) and recovery times (P=0.002) were shorter in group PR. Conclusions: During short hemato-oncologic interventions in children, the PR combination is a suitable one for early recovery.