Sedation of Children undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging in a Resource Poor Setting using low doses of Ketamine and Diazepam

We aimed to describe the successful use of low doses of ketamine hydrochloride with diazepam premedication to sedate children with ages between 3days to five years who presented at three diagnostic centres in Port Harcourt Nigeria for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within a five-year period. This was done in an environment with no MRI compatible anaesthetic machine and monitoring was done by the anaesthetist within the suites. The average age of the children was ten months with a mean dose of 18mg of ketamine used. The mean duration of the procedures was 44.92 minutes and constant presence of the anaesthetist was required throughout the procedures for monitoring. Two incidences of self-limiting laryngospasm occurred with a safe outcome for all of the patients. Children can be satisfactorily sedated with low doses of ketamine for MRI in some less than ideal situations.