PALS for Sedation Teams
Children under anaesthesia or sedation can move from stable to critical quickly, most often because of the airway. Anaesthetists, recovery nurses and clinics that sedate children commonly need a PALS course certificate.
In short
Staff who anaesthetise or sedate children, and those who recover them, usually need PALS. The realistic emergencies are airway obstruction, hypoxia, bradycardia and allergic reactions. Check your licence conditions.
Children desaturate faster than adults because of their higher oxygen consumption and smaller reserves. Airway obstruction and laryngospasm are the emergencies sedation teams rehearse most — see upper airway obstruction.
In children, bradycardia is often a sign of hypoxia. Oxygenation and ventilation come first, before drugs — see the PALS bradycardia algorithm.
Drugs, antibiotics and latex can trigger anaphylaxis, which PALS treats as distributive shock — see shock types.
Dental clinics that sedate children often need PALS-certified staff present; adult sedation is covered by ACLS for sedation teams. Confirm your licence conditions with DOH, DHA or MOHAP.
Regular in-situ drills with your own equipment make PALS training stick; we can run on-site sessions in theatre or clinic settings.
Many sedation-related problems happen after the procedure, in recovery, when the stimulus stops and the drugs are still working. Recovery staff should be as prepared as the theatre team, with paediatric airway equipment immediately to hand.
Recording an accurate weight and preparing weight-based emergency doses in advance saves critical minutes — see weight-based dosing.
Other life support and first aid courses: BLS Course · ACLS Course · First Aid Course · Training calendar
Those who anaesthetise children usually do.
If they recover children, commonly yes.
Often; check your licensing conditions.
It is often caused by hypoxia, so oxygenation and ventilation come first.
Yes.
Laryngospasm is a sudden closure of the vocal cords, most common in children during light anaesthesia. Recognising it quickly and supporting oxygenation is part of paediatric airway management.
Yes. Recovery areas that care for children should have paediatric airway adjuncts, masks and bag-mask devices in every size immediately to hand.
Safety First Medical Services is an American Heart Association training centre on Al Reem Island. HeartCode blended PALS, classroom PALS and on-site PALS for paediatric, neonatal and emergency teams, with a two-year AHA PALS Provider eCard.
See PALS dates and register PALS course overview Group booking enquiry
What we teach follows the awarding body and the UAE health authorities. For the definitive position on a course or licensing question, these are the places to check.
Last reviewed by the training team at Safety First Medical Services, an American Heart Association training centre at Addax Office Tower, Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi. Call +971 55 761 9841 or email training@safetyfirstmed.ae.