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Sedation of children for CT and MRI scanning
J B Temme1, J C Anderson, S Matecko
1Department of Radiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha 68105.
Insights
Oral chloral hydrate and intramuscular pentobarbital offer safe and effective pediatric sedation. This approach enabled 98% of 350 young patients to undergo same-day imaging scans successfully.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sedation
- Medical Imaging
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Sedation is crucial for pediatric medical imaging.
- Evaluating different sedation methods is essential for patient care.
- Previous methods may have limitations in efficacy or safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the efficacy and safety of oral and intramuscular sedation techniques in pediatric patients.
- To assess a specific sedation protocol for infants and children undergoing imaging.
- To evaluate the success rate of same-day imaging after sedation.
Main Methods:
- A 17-month study involving 350 pediatric patients.
- Administered oral chloral hydrate (50 mg/kg) to infants under 1 year.
- Administered intramuscular pentobarbital (5 mg/kg) to children over 1 year.
Main Results:
- The protocol proved effective and safe for pediatric sedation.
- 98% of the 350 patients achieved satisfactory scans.
- Successful same-day imaging was achieved after single or supplementary sedation doses.
Conclusions:
- The studied oral and intramuscular sedation protocol is a viable option for pediatric imaging.
- The technique is effective, safe, and relatively simple to administer.
- High success rates support the use of this protocol for efficient patient throughput.
Abstract:
This paper reports on 350 pediatric patients who were studied over a 17-month period to determine the efficacy and safety of oral and intramuscular sedation techniques. The protocol using oral chloral hydrate, 50 mgm/kg, for infants under 1 year of age or intramuscular pentobarbital, 5 mgm/kg, for children over 1 year was found to be an effective, safe and fairly simple approach to pediatric sedation. Of the 350 sedated patients, 343 (98 percent) had satisfactory scans on the same day the examination was scheduled after a single dose or an initial dose and supplementary sedation.