Sedation and anesthesia issues in pediatric imaging

Sedation and anesthesia for pediatric imaging departments has changed dramatically for the following reasons: (1) radiologists have stopped sedating patients; (2) the majority of sedations are not for CT (because of the speed of the procedure) but for MR, which lasts 45 min or greater; (3) a cadre of services—pediatricians, emergency medicine physicians, hospitalists and intensivists, as well as anesthesiologists—can provide the services. These changes have significantly influenced the type of agents utilized for sedation and anesthesia and, most important, have created operational issues for MR departments. Nevertheless, it is important for each imaging department to create a uniform approach to sedation, taking into account patient expectations, efficiency of through-put, facilities and personnel available, and institutional costs.