For many years chloral hydrate (CH) has been considered a safe and effective drug for sedation in infants and young children,1 and it is widely used in patients undergoing various diagnostic procedures, such as magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, ultrasonography, lung function testing, and many others.1-6 The recommended doses range from 30 to 100 mg/kg.7,8 However, Hershenson et al9 have described a near-fatal respiratory arrest in a child after administration of CH, raising some concerns about possible risks in using this drug for sedation in infants or children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We report two cases of respiratory failure in two 24-month-old children with suspected OSA, who did need bag ventilation after oral sedation with CH (80 mg/kg) during lung function studies.
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Biban et al. (1993) studied this question.