Adverse Events and Risk Factors Associated with Chloral Hydrate Sedation for Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Purpose: This study investigated the incidence of adverse events (AEs) and risk fac tors associated with sedation using chloral hydrate (CH) for brain magnetic reso nance imaging (MRI) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: This was a retrospective study of infants who received CH for brain MRI in the NICU. Among the enrolled infants (n=143), 12.6% (n=18) were included in the AE group and 87.4% (n=125) were in the nonadverse event group (NAE) Results: Gestational age (GA) at birth and corrected GA at sedation were 35 +0 7 +2 and 39 +5 3 +1 respectively. The rate of AEs was 12.6%, included oxygen desaturation (5.6%), aspiration (4.9%), paradoxical agitation (0.7%), tachycardia or bradycardia (0.7%), and arrest (0.7%). In univariate analysis, the AE group was younger in corrected GA at sedation than the NAE group (37 +2 [range, 36 +0 to 40 +0 ] vs. 40 +1 [range, 38 +2 to 41 +4 ], P= 0.015). There was no significant difference in CH dosage (50.0 [range, 50.0 to 50.0] vs. 50.0 [range, 50.0 to 50.0], P=0.092), cardiopulmonary (33.3% [n=6] vs. 17.6% [n= 22], P=0.209) and central nervous system (61.1% [n=11] vs. 65.6% [n=82], P=0.054) mor bidity. In multivariate analysis, CH dosage was the only significant risk factor for AEs associated with sedation (odds ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.07; P= 0.0186). Conclusion: AEs associated with sedation using CH are not uncommon and should be considered when using high dose CH for diagnostic testing in the NICU.