If there isn't time for EMLA to be used, a local anesthetic can be injected using a small needle. Sometimes the procedure is more involved and local anesthetic alone will not give enough pain relief. A bone marrow biopsy for a child with cancer is a good example. In these situations sedation should also be used. If the child is drowsy but awake, this is called conscious sedation.
Deep sedation is when the child is asleep for a short period.