Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Administering sedation to pediatric patients during MRI exams is a tricky business, made especially complicated by the relative scarcity of anesthesiologists in the U.S. This week in our MRI Digital Community we examine a number of techniques for better managing pediatric MRI sedation.
In a story by staff writer Shalmali Pal, a group from Texas Children's Hospital in Houston describes how they set up a dedicated service for administering sedation during MRI procedures. The service is staffed by critical care medicine physicians who are under the supervision of the anesthesiology department.
The article also surveys recent clinical research on pediatric MRI sedation, such as a study by Italian researchers on how they managed sedation reactions in children with metachromatic leukodystrophy. Another study deals with the sedation agent dexmedetomidine, used for short-term sedation in the intensive care unit. Get the details on the story by clicking here.
In other news in the community, we're highlighting several stories this week on MRI's growing prowess in brain imaging. The modality can distinguish between cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease, according to this article, while you can learn about how functional MRI can offer new insight into the impact of sleep deprivation by clicking here. Finally, learn about another fMRI study that explores the region of the brain thought to be the source of positive thoughts by clicking here.
Get these stories and more in our MRI Digital Community, at mri.auntminnie.com.
