Sedation for Pediatric Dental Emergencies at Asan Medical Center Over the Last 5 Years

This study aimed to investigate the trends and characteristics of sedation for pediatric dental emergencies at Seoul Asan Medical Center over the past five years. A retrospective analysis was performed on 1,248 pediatric patients who were referred from the emergency department to the dental department between 2019 and 2023. Patient demographics, types of sedation administered, and sedation-related adverse events were reviewed. Among these patients, 27.9% underwent sedation, with ketamine-only sedation being the predominant method. Respiratory complications, including hypopnea and apnea, were the most commonly observed adverse events. Adverse events occurred more frequently in patients who received a combination of ketamine and midazolam compared to those who received ketamine alone. These findings highlight the growing use of sedation in pediatric dental emergencies and emphasize the need for careful sedative selection, dosing considerations, and close respiratory monitoring to ensure patient safety.