施行兒童腦波檢查使用chloral hydrate來鎮靜很容易改變判讀的結果。不用藥物的腦波是最好的方式，但兒童有時不可避免需要靠要藥物來完成腦波檢查。這方面的使用經驗雖然不少，但使用的結果在台灣未曾被報告過。我們回顧了約2年的經驗來，探討這些需要用藥物來完成腦波檢查的兒童特性、藥物的副作用、及與其它國外文獻報告的比較。最後我們希望來降低兒童使用藥物的比率。方法：我們回顧自2004年4月至2005年12月總共1135個兒童執行腦波檢查，其中303(27%)個兒童使用chloral hydrate來鎮靜。我們分析了這些兒童的特性包括年齡、姓別、與副作用及失敗率等。此外並探討了失敗的原因。結果：在1135個接受腦波檢查中有303(27%)個兒童使用chloral hydrate。男與女比例為59:41，顯示較多男童需要藥物鎮靜。245(82%)個兒童小於3歲，大於3歲的兒童需要藥物比例呈現快速減少的情形。副作用有4(1%)例，其中3例原因為藥物配置不良，1例為疾病本身的因素。失敗率約10%，失敗的要原因為父母準備不良配合度不夠，沒有減少兒童睡眠及兒童對陌生環境的懼怕。結論：chloral hydrate是有效及安全的藥物，副作用不常見。對小於3歲的幼童特別需要藥物。此外，我們的兒童需要鎮靜的比率比國外略高，故我們建議除父母應做好準備外，改善腦波的環境，並且對於住院病例建議不要常規使用鎮靜藥物。
Objective: It is sometimes necessary to sedate children for electroencephalogram (EEG), which requires a great deal of stillness. Although it is ideal to do such an examination without such drug, it is sometimes not possible. In this study, we review our experience administering EEG to children in an effort to determine the characteristics of these patients, incidence of adverse effects, and compare our sedation rates with those of other reports. With the kind of results obtained in this report, we hope to reduce the need for sedation for these pediatric patients. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of children receiving EEGs between April 2004 and December 2005, paying particular attention to those requiring sedation by chloral hydrate. In total, we enrolled 1135 cases into the study. 303 (27%) cases were administered chloral hydrate. We analyzed the characteristics of these children by age, gender and drug failure. We also observed the adverse effects attributed to chloral hydrate in this patient group. Results: Of the 1135 patients undergoing EEG, 303 (27%) were sedated with chloral hydrate. The male/female ratio was 59/41. Eighty-two percent of those sedated were less than three years old. In children beyond that age, the rate of sedation dropped rapidly to eighteen percent. Four of the cases were observed to have adverse effects, three because the drug was prepared incorrectly and one because the child had an underlying disorder. Chloral hydrate failed to sedate about 10% of the children, mostly those who had not been prepared well for the appointment by their parents and those had pronounced fear of the treatment environment. Our sedation rate was slightly higher than that reported by other studies. Conclusion: Chloral hydrate can be used safely and effectively to sedate children who need to undergo EEG. Complications are infrequent. It is mostly needed for children below three years old. Its routine use for children beyond that age can be discouraged.
