Pulmonary

Sedation is used for virtually all children undergoing fiberoptic airway endoscopy. Because the sedating and procedural physicians “share the airway,” overlapping responsibilities necessitate coordination between them. This section describes the components of a directed preprocedural assessment, emphasizes the need for communication with the bronchoscopist, gives an overview of sedation options, and outlines anticipated complications. Procedural considerations for common FAE indications are highlighted, along with how they influence the choice of setting and sedation agents and methods. Use of short-acting and ultrashort-acting agents will be stressed, as they are ideal sedatives to allow rapid return of normal respiratory drive. Adjuvant medications to facilitate the procedure will also be reviewed.