Abstract:Objective To explore the sedative effect and safety of chloral hydrate (CH) combined with dexmedetomidine (Dex) in non-invasive examinations for children of different ages, and to provide a clinical reference for sedation regimen selection.Methods Clinical data of 1222 children undergoing non-invasive examinations in our hospital from January 2024 to December 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into 4 age groups: the neonatal group (0 to 28 days) with 6 cases, the infant group (29 days to 1 year) with 349 cases, the toddler group (1 to 3 years) with 714 cases, and the child group (4 to 13 years) with 153 cases. All received CH and Dex for sedation. The clinical sedation indicators among the four groups of children were compared, including onset time of sedation, duration of MRI examination, and recovery time. Heart rate (HR) was recorded from the pre-anesthesia baseline (T0) to 30 minutes after administration (T2). In addition, the one-time success rate of sedation and the incidence of sedation-related adverse events were analyzed.Results There was no statistically significant difference in the duration of MRI examination among the four groups (P 0.05). However, significant differences were observed in the onset time of sedation and recovery time among the groups (P 0.05). Comparison of HR at T0, T1, and T2 in all groups showed that HR differed significantly across different time points (P 0.05) and among the groups (P 0.05), with the child group demonstrating lower and relatively more stable HR. The change trend of HR also differed significantly among groups (P 0.05). The one-time success rate of sedation differed significantly among the groups (P 0.05). In contrast, no statistically significant difference was found in the overall incidence of adverse reactions among the four groups (P 0.05).Conclusion CH combined with Dex for non-invasive examinations in children of different ages has a reliable sedative effect. It can effectively maintain the stable stress level of children and has a low incidence of adverse events. Among them, the sedation takes effect faster in the neonatal group and the recovery is more rapid in the infant group. Clinically, it can be reasonably applied according to the age characteristics of children.