Pediatric anesthesia & critical care
Comparative acceptability and immediate behavioral response to different pediatric premedications: A systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors' conclusion
Syrup-based oral midazolam offers a favorable balance between acceptability and behavioral response, making it a practical option for pediatric premedication.
Study context
- Population
- Children aged 1–12 years, ASA I–III, undergoing elective procedures under GA or sedation
- Participants
- 1,858 children · 24 RCTs
- Comparison
- Pediatric premedications by drug, formulation and route
Methodological detailstwo separate network meta-analyses, SUCRA ranking, node-splitting
- Two separate network meta-analyses
- SUCRA ranking
- Node-splitting
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
- Acceptability: highest with oral midazolam in commercial syrup and oral midazolam IV formulation mixed with syrup
- Acceptability: low with nebulized ketamine, midazolam and dexmedetomidine
- Behavioral response: most favorable with oral or intranasal clonidine, followed by oral midazolam mixed with syrup
- Behavioral response: intranasal midazolam consistently poorest
- Behavioral response: commercial midazolam syrup could not be analyzed
- Ranked by SUCRA
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Comparative acceptability and immediate behavioral response to different pediatric premedications: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. J Clin Anesth. Published 21 November 2025. doi:10.
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