Entonox Informed Consent for Administration

Pain and Sedation Service

Information for parents and carers

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Informed Consent for Entonox Administration – PIAG 283 (89kB pdf)

General Information

Entonox or ‘gas and air’ is a way of giving pain relief for short, uncomfortable or painful procedures. It is self-administered by the child either through a mouthpiece or using a facemask.

It starts working very quickly, within 6 to 10 breaths and will also wear off very quickly after the procedure.

Your child does not need to be starved to have Entonox as it will not cause them to fall asleep like a general anaesthetic. While breathing the gas your child will experience good pain relief and may feel light-headed. These both wear off very quickly after stopping it.

We give Entonox for painful procedures and to help with anxiety relating to a painful procedure.

The benefit of having Entonox is that it will reduce or take away completely pain due to the procedure and may cause a feeling of light-headedness.

It carries a very low risk of causing harm to your child. Very occasionally it can make you feel sick, but this is uncommon. If your child gets very upset during procedures the alternatives are to be given longer acting, more powerful sedative drugs or a general anaesthetic. Both of these options will require your child to undergo a period of starvation and they may spend much longer at the hospital.

Both sedation and general anaesthetics are associated with a small but higher risk of harm than just receiving Entonox.

If you agree to your child having Entonox and if you have any questions, please tell the person who gave you this information sheet.

This leaflet only gives general information. You must always discuss the individual treatment of your child with the appropriate member of staff. Do not rely on this leaflet alone for information about your child’s treatment.

This information can be made available in other languages and formats if requested.