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Updated: Jun 13, 2025
Registered Bioimaging of Nanomaterials for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Monitoring
Published on: December 9, 2010
MRI scan with the "feed and wrap" technique and with an optimized anesthesia protocol: a retrospective analysis of a
Giulia Moltoni1,2, Giulia Lucignani1, Stefania Sgrò3
1Functional and Interventional Neuroradiology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Insights
The "Good Practice" protocol, using the feed and wrap technique and optimized sedation, successfully obtains high-quality pediatric MRI scans. This approach enhances patient safety and parental satisfaction by minimizing anesthesia and hospitalizations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Radiology
- Anesthesiology
Background:
- Pediatric MRI requires motionless imaging, often necessitating anesthesia.
- Current protocols may involve risks and hospitalizations for young patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a "Good Practice" protocol for pediatric MRI.
- The protocol aims to avoid anesthesia in infants and prevent hospitalization in older children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 132 pediatric patients.
- Two groups: "feed and wrap" technique and optimized anesthesiologic protocol.
- Assessed imaging quality, safety, and parental satisfaction.
Main Results:
- The "feed and wrap" technique yielded excellent/good image quality in over 77% of cases, with only 2 repeat scans needed.
- The optimized anesthesiologic protocol reported no adverse effects or post-anesthesia hospitalizations.
- Parental satisfaction was exceptionally high for both methods, with 100% rating "feed and wrap" as excellent.
Conclusions:
- The "feed and wrap" technique is effective for high-quality pediatric MRI.
- Optimized sedation successfully avoids hospitalization with no adverse events.
- The protocol significantly improves patient safety and parental satisfaction in pediatric MRI.
Introduction:
MRI examinations in the pediatric population require acquiring motionless images in the safest possible manner. At our institute, we have developed a protocol called "Good Practice" aimed at avoiding anesthesia in newborns and infants through the use of the "feed and wrap" technique, as well as preventing hospitalization for older children requiring anesthesia with an optimized sedation protocol. We evaluated this protocol in terms of patient safety, imaging quality, and parental satisfaction.
Materials And Methods:
Patient data were collected retrospectively. In the feed and wrap group, image quality and the necessity of repeating the examination were evaluated. In the optimized anesthesiologic protocol group, various parameters were analyzed to assess the safety of the protocol. Parental satisfaction was determined through a questionnaire.
Results:
A total of 132 patients were included, with 82 undergoing the feed and wrap technique and 50 receiving the optimized anesthesiologic protocol. In the feed and wrap group, images were classified as follows: 4.87% poor, 18.29% sufficient, 37.80% good, and 39.92% excellent. In only 2 cases a new MRI examination was required. In the optimized anesthesiologic protocol group, no adverse effects were observed, and no post-anesthesia hospitalizations were needed. 100% of parents of babies examined with the feed and wrap technique rated it as excellent. Furthermore, 85.6% of parents considered the optimized anesthesiologic protocol excellent, and 13.6% rated it as good.
Conclusion:
At our institute, the feed and wrap technique proved to be effective in obtaining high-quality images. Anesthesia using propofol showed no adverse effects and proved to be successful in avoiding hospitalization. Parents expressed relief at the avoidance of anesthesia and hospitalization for their children.
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