Isoflurane for difficult sedation in critically ill children: a retrospective analysis in a mixed pediatric intensive care population

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Inhaled isoflurane was evaluated as a rescue sedation method in mechanically ventilated pediatric patients with failed conventional sedation.
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The study analyzed 21 children, revealing a decrease in the number of sedative agents from 4 to 3 after initiating isoflurane.
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Rescue medication use for breakthrough agitation declined significantly from 100% to 42.9% following isoflurane administration.
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The vasoactive-inotropic score increased from 6.22 to 9.70, indicating a rise in cardiovascular support needs during isoflurane use.
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Frequent occurrences of delirium (87.5%) and withdrawal (44%) were noted among survivors after prolonged isoflurane sedation.

Frontiers In Pediatrics

by Richard Biedermann, Melanie Koeplin, Claus Doerfel, Natja Liebers, Lars Newman, Hans Proquitté
May 28, 2026

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