Drug anesthesia for children undergoing magnetic resonance imaging: A review

Children who are scheduled for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are usually required to take anesthesia to ensure a satisfactory conclusion of the scan. An adequate depth of anesthesia makes sure that the child is immobilized during the scan and erases the anxiety and auditory stimulation that result from being in the scanner core. Several IV anesthetic regimens are been used in children to prevent movements during scans, they including ketamine, propofol (with and without remifentanil), dexmedetomidine amongst others. Inhaled anesthetics for MRI scans have also been made possible by the use of MRI-compatible anesthetic workstations. In this review we focus on drug anesthesia for children undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We first provide a brief commentary on the administration of anesthesia in MRI, next we discuss the prevalent anesthetic agents, then a short examination of the risks and adverse effects.