Cicero J. Torres A. Silva MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Michael Ronald Ditchfield MBBS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Angela Mackenzie BMBS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Shari Stewart, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Leanne M. Hallowell, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To evaluate the effectiveness of a magnetic resonance simulator, in preparing children to undergo MR procedures without general anaesthesia (GA) or sedation.

The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne has a practice MR unit, which is a full scale re-creation of a 1.5 Tesla MRI apparatus, except that it is devoid of magnets. The child can practice lying still in the unit and become familiar with the MR environment. If they can cooperate satisfactory during the practice session, for a minimum of 5 minutes, they are referred for an MRI without GA or sedation. The records of 134 children who would otherwise have been referred to GA and attended the practice MRI, between February 2002 and April 2004, were retrospectively reviewed. Each record was assessed as to whether the child had passed or failed the practice MRI intervention. Those children who were considered to have passed and proceeded to a clinical non-GA MRI had the report of the clinical scan reviewed. If the scan had been reported as non-diagnostic because of movement artifact it was classified as a failed scan, otherwise it was considered a pass.

134 children undertook a practice MRI (age range 4.1-16.1 yrs, median age 7.7 yrs, 47% male). 120/134 (90%)passed the practice session. 117/120 (98%) of those subsequently had a clinical non GA MRI and 110/117 (94%) passed (median age 7.8 yrs, 47% male). If the 3 patients lost to follow up are excluded, 110/131 (84%) of the patients referred for the practice MR session achieved a non GA diagnostic clinical MR scan.

Practice MRI is a safe and effective method to reduce the need for sedation and GA in children having a clinical MRI scan.

Silva, C, Ditchfield, M, Mackenzie, A, Stewart, S, Hallowell, L, Practice MRI: Reducing the Need for Sedation and General Anaesthesia in Children Undergoing MRI.  Radiological Society of North America 2005 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 27 - December 2, 2005 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2005/4416071.html