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Original poster

Has anybody's baby/toddler needed an MRI under sedation/general anaesthetic?

16 replies

Anaesthesiadilemma · 06/03/2019 16:04

If so, I'd be really grateful to know which drug was used (or even if it was oral, injection or gas because I can guess from that) and what your experience was

We've been given a choice of sedation or GA and I'm struggling to know which is best!

OP posts:

Paramaribo0 · 06/03/2019 16:23

Yes my DS had a head MRI under GA when he was 15 months old. He was given gas initially and then a cannula was popped in while he was asleep and a full GA was given. He recovered quickly afterwards and we went home a couple of hours later.

FenellaMaxwell · 06/03/2019 16:26

Yes, oral. He was 4 weeks.

IdaBWells · 06/03/2019 16:28

Fenella 4 weeks! I hope he recovered and you too.

OhWifey · 06/03/2019 16:32

My daughter had four head MRI or CT scans between age 10 months and 3. The first attempt at 10 months was with sedation. It was horrific. First it was lots of suppositories which she was very unhappy about, then we had to try to get her to go to sleep. Well she just screamed and screamed and screamed for hours. Apparently a small subset of children has the opposite reaction to the sedative she she apparently was one of them. It didn't help that she was fed to sleep at that time which we couldn't do as she had to be nil by mouth. We used GA ever since which is horrible in the few seconds it takes for the gas to take hold, but better overall.

CatToddlerUprising · 06/03/2019 16:35

My DD had a sedation for a CT scan last year. But it takes a long time for her body to react to it. Radiology team couldn’t wait so we had to pin her down and she had an inflatable sleeping bag type thing around her. It was horrible. The sedation kicked in after we finished- 45 minutes after we started. And they can’t give more as its weight based.

FreezerBird · 06/03/2019 16:36

Yes, both kids, more than once. Cannula in, gas to go under in anaesthetics room then GA via cannula.

Mind you both had had at least one GA for surgery before this point (at least four for DD) so we knew they hadn't had any problems with it.

DD also had a few things previously under sedation (chlorol) but I think GA is better if you need them completely still as you do for MRI.

Bumblebeezy · 06/03/2019 16:38

My youngest has had a lot of scans under GA and one under sedation. The sedation experience was similar to the poster above- opposite effect. He went absolutely berserk and got quite distressed.

There is more risk with any GA but it's a small risk, especially as they are only given a little for a scan. All our GA scans went smoothly.

BernardsarenotalwaysSaints · 06/03/2019 16:38

Yes, 6 monthly from 4 weeks up until 3.5 years (we've continued since but he doesn't need putting out anymore). A mix of oral sedation & GA. The first 3 were oral, then on the 4th he had quite a bad reaction (came out in hives & was very wheezy) so we switched to GA & didn't have any issues. We were always leaving for home within 2-3 hours of him coming out of the scan.

FreezerBird · 06/03/2019 16:39

Oh, and both of them came round fine, didn't feel sick particularly, scoffed a meal then we went home. Completely different ballgame to coming round post-surgery.

Toddlerteaplease · 06/03/2019 16:43

GA is safer and will definitely keep them
Still! The sedation tastes vile and doesn't always work. (Peadiatric nurse)

Toddlerteaplease · 06/03/2019 16:45

Less risk with a GA as you have anaesthetist and a team of people looking after the airway. Not just a nurse on their own.

Whitelisbon · 06/03/2019 16:48

We were given the option, and went for ga, on the consultants advice. He said it's much easier for everyone involved.
Dd was home a couple of hours later, with no lasting effects.

QueenMabby · 06/03/2019 17:02

DD’s has three under GA. All fine - just a mask until she dropped off then a canula once asleep. She gets a bit of a sore throat afterwards but otherwise ok. I’m hoping she can do the next one without anything now she’s a bit older.

Original poster

Anaesthesiadilemma · 06/03/2019 17:17

Thank you.

We'd said earlier we'd go with sedation but after a lot of research we'd prefer GA so hopefully they'll let us change our minds. They haven't called to book it yet though so hopefully no NHS time wasted.

I'm sure they will be excellent with either option as our care there has been brilliant (GOSH)

OP posts:

EggysMom · 06/03/2019 17:20

Sedation didn't work for our son either - he had a mix of liquid and suppositories, and just wouldn't fall asleep. After about four hours a nurse managed to rock him to sleep and they did the MRI very quickly before he woke again!

rubberduckyyouretheone · 06/03/2019 17:27

DS has had one every six months from 3 he is now 11. He has autism and for him the mask is a no go when he is still awake so he gets the cannula straight away. We've been lucky in having no side effects and quite often end up in McDonald's after as he's always starving due to fasting.

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