Children often need effective sedation or anaesthesia for minor procedures. Although a wide range of sedation techniques is available, sedation may not always be effective, causing distress and additional cost (related to repeat procedures); some techniques may occasionally cause unintended loss of consciousness with sudden and potentially dangerous airway obstruction and respiratory depression.

These problems can be minimised by choosing effective and appropriate techniques and ensuring that healthcare practitioners are trained and able to prevent harm. However, guidance on which technique is effective for specific procedures, and the training and resources needed to deliver them safely, has been absent. This article summarises the most recent recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on effective and safe sedation of children and young people undergoing common diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.1