Electroencephalography for children with autistic spectrum disorder: a sedation protocol.

OBJECTIVES: To report the effectiveness and efficiency of a predetermined sedation protocol for providing sedation for electroencephalograph (EEG) studies in children with autism.

METHODS: Sleep EEG has been advocated for the majority of children with autism spectrum disorder. In most cases, sedation is required to allow adequate studies. Most sedation drugs have negative effects on the EEG pattern. The sedation protocol we adopted included chloral hydrate, dexmedetomidine, and ketamine and was evaluated prospectively for 2 years.

RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-three children with autistic spectrum disorder were sedated with the described drug protocol that was efficient, provided adequate EEG readings, and was not associated with serious adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS: Our protocol kept costs to a minimum but provided appropriate escalation in care when required.