One year experience of MRI under general anaesthesia

A case series over one year of our experience of using Propofol and Laryngeal mask airway (LMA) in children under 10 years of age undergoing MRI under general anaesthesia is presented. All paediatric patients under the age of ten attending out-patient department were included in the case series starting from January 1st, 2004 till December 31st, 2004. All patients underwent general anaesthesia using Propofol / LMA technique as described in detail in communication below. A total of 78 children were included; the only patient requiring intubation was the youngest: a neonate of 1 day who had a large orbital mass. Propofol in the dose of 2 mg/kg and an appropriate size LMA according to weight of the patient was used. Majority of the patients (67) had a brain or head MRI for 'developmental delay', 5 patients had a brain MRI for a 'mass lesion' and 5 patients had a lumbo-sacral MRI for 'abnormal growth'. There was only one complication when a child with history of seizures, seized on recovery and had to be subsequently admitted to the Emergency Room for observation. No other morbidity or mortality was noted. All patients were outpatients. We can conclude based on our results that providing GA for paediatric patients undergoing MRI with Propofol and LMA can be safe and effective in outpatient radiology.