COMPUTERIZED AXIAL TOMOGRAPHY

SEDATION VERSUS GENERAL ANAESTHESIA IN CHILDREN BELOW FIVE YEARS OF AGE

Abstract

Objectives: to evaluate the clinical safety, effectiveness, efficacy and
potential side effects of sedation in pediatric patients undergoing computerized tomography by intrarectal thiopentone
and to compare this technique with general anaesthesia for computerized tomography in paediatric patients. Study
Design: Interventional and analytical / comparative study. Place and duration of study: The study was carried out
in Radiology department Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi over a period of 1 year from Jan 2003 to Jan 2004.
Material and Methods: Sixty children below 5 years of age were selected by nonprobability convenience sampling
and divided into 2 groups A and B, each comprising of 30 children .Group A was sedated by thiopentone sodium that
was administered rectally and group B received general anaesthesia with a uniform technique. Results: in group A
quality of sedation was judged to be adequate in 26 out of 30 patients (86.6%). Another 2 were sedated but required
mild restraint like reposition of the neck leaving 2 with inadequate sedation or an overall failure rate of 6.66%.In group
B the success rate was 100% with no observation of any complication. Conclusion: rectally administered thiopental
is a safe and effective sedative for paediatric patients requiring CT scanning in the presence of anaesthesiologist and
the failure rate is very low. General anaesthesia makes CT scan more successful with minimal adverse events.