Towards Integrated Procedural Comfort Care: Redefining and Expanding “Non-pharmacology”

Available evidence from the literature shows that non-pharmacologic strategies should not only be regarded as a possible alternative for procedural sedation, but even more as a crucial adjunct to procedural sedation. Physicians should be well aware that continuous anxiety control is not only essential for effective and safe procedural sedation but also plays a role in allowing an improved quality of the patient’s and parents’ experience. This chapter gives a practical overview of non-pharmacologic strategies, from the perspective of optimal procedural comfort in children and parents. Non-pharmacologic strategies should not be considered as a stand-alone strategy but as part of an integrated perspective of procedural comfort care.