[Sevoflurane anesthesia for magnetic resonance procedures in pediatrics]

To assess the efficacy and safety of sevoflurane anesthesia in children during magnetic resonance imaging procedures.

The patients were 105 ASA-I-II children, mean weight 13 +/- 10 Kg and mean age 2.9 years (range 1 day-10 years), twenty (20%) of whom were under 3 months old. Induction was gradual with 6% sevoflurane in a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen, followed by maintenance with 1-2% sevoflurane in the same mixture through a face mask or nasal tubes while the patient breathed spontaneously. All procedures were performed satisfactorily. Ten minutes after anesthesia, 88% of the patients were fully awake. None suffered prolonged sedation and no serious complications occurred during the study period. The most common side effects were transient decreases in oxygen saturation in 15 patients (14%), although none reached the critical level (SpO2 < 90%). Six of those patients were under 3 months old. After recovering from sedation, 13 patients (12%) suffered transient episodes of excessive agitation, usually 5 minutes after awakening. Five patients (4.8%) vomited in the recovery room.

This study indicates that sevoflurane is safe and effective for sedating children, including newborn infants, who must undergo magnetic resonance imaging.