When Mary Nelson has to help administer bladder-function imaging tests on children, she's often dealing with youngsters who are anxious, frightened and crying.
Nelson, a registered nurse in Rice Memorial Hospital's radiology department, can't wait until next April, when a new pediatric sedation program will be implemented.
"It'll be so much nicer," she said.
The new program -- one of only a few of its kind in Minnesota -- is being launched with money that will be raised next weekend at the Rice Health Foundation's annual Holiday Festival in Willmar. The funds will cover the cost of equipment and staff training.
Nelson and Jan Maxfield, a clinical nurse specialist in the hospital's women's and children's unit, hope it will help make a big difference for children who must undergo painful or uncomfortable procedures.
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The program uses nitrous oxide to relax pediatric patients, allowing them to remain awake, responsive and calm. It's modeled after a program in use at Children's Hospitals of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Hospitals and procedures often are intimidating for children -- even more so when a child is sick or hurting, Nelson and Maxfield said.
"You just need to calm them down and have them cooperate," Maxfield said. "What we're trying to do is prevent that traumatic experience."
Nitrous oxide sedation, the same as what's used at dental clinics, can potentially be used in a variety of situations.
It can be used to help relax hospitalized children who must undergo a lumbar puncture to test for meningitis, or in cases of difficult IV starts, Maxfield said.
In the emergency department, it could help calm a child who needs stitches or other procedures likely to cause discomfort, such as realigning a dislocated joint.
This type of sedation also will be used in the radiology department for various scans and procedures.
To ensure safety and appropriateness, youngsters will be evaluated by a physician ahead of time to determine whether nitrous oxide is suitable for them.
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Besides reducing anxiety, one of the advantages of nitrous oxide is that it's short-acting, Nelson said. "There is much less recovery time. Two minutes after, they're up and running around and ready to go."
It's also less distressing for parents, she said.
"The parents want to be there for their kids but it's usually traumatic for them. Sometimes the parents are crying too," she said. "The parents will be much happier having their child be less uncomfortable."
Nelson and Maxfield figure that nitrous oxide sedation will be used an average of at least four times a week in radiology. The rate is likely to be higher in the emergency department.
Down the road, nitrous oxide sedation also could be used in other areas of the hospital and possibly even on adult patients.
Its main use, however, will be focused on children, Maxfield said.
"We're thinking this will be a very useful tool to help the child and their family," she said.
