[Gaseous encephalography under ketamine hydrochloride general anesthesia in the child (author's transl)]

The aim of this technical note is to show that ketamine hydrochloride anesthesia, owing to the preservation of muscle tone, enables one to safely and comfortably carry out gaseous encephalography on a simple radiological table in the toddler or child. However the authors very strictly select the indications for this investigation. Whenever the child's clinical condition leads one to suspect intracranial hypertension and/or a cerebral tumor, they think it more prudent, owing to the vasopressor effect of ketamine hydrochloride and a possible elevation in the cerebrospinal fluid pressure, to transfer the child to a specialized neuroradiological center, where the investigations would be carried out under the best technical conditions, and close to a neurosurgical unit which is capable of intervening rapidly in case of complications. The authors voluntarily limit their indications to children suffering from psychomotor retardation, epilepsy or neurological disorders which make one suspect a congenital malformation.