Paediatric magnetic resonance imaging adaptations without the use of sedation or anaesthesia: A narrative review

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) produces images with high soft tissue contrast without the use of ionising radiation, making it a valuable tool for scanning paediatrics. However, it can be difficult to scan children when they are awake, resulting often in poor image quality scans and necessitating the use of sedation and general anaesthesia (GA). The aim of sedation and anaesthesia is to reduce anxiety and movement during image acquisition, thereby improving compliance and image quality. However, there are adverse risks and costs to their use, leading to the need to consider alternative imaging adaptation methods. This research discussed potential methods of reducing anxiety and improving paediatric compliance during MRI examinations, by assessing their feasibility for use in the clinical setting. The literature suggests that adaption strategies and modification of radiographer techniques were mostly effective in reducing the requirement of sedation/GA.