Author(s)

Nirupama Kannikeswaran, Swati Mody, Xinguang Chen, Marwan Zidan, Lalitha Sivaswamy

Wayne State University School of Medicine, Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI, USA.
Wayne State University School of Medicine, Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI, USA.
Wayne State University School of Medicine, Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Radiology, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI, USA.
Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.

Objective: Our study objective was to compare the anteroposterior (AP) oropharyngeal airway diameter measured using static MRI images in children with and without developmental disabilities during sedation. Methods: We performed a secondary analysis on a prospective, observational age-matched, 1:2 case-control study of children aged 3 - 10 years who were sedated for brain MRI. AP airway diameters were determined at the level of soft palate (airway_SP) and tongue (airway_T) from midline sagittal images by a single blinded radiologist. Results: Airway diameter was evaluated in 134 controls (C) and 68 cases (D). There was no difference in the overall adverse events (D: 30% C: 32.9%; p = 0.7) as well as hypoxia (D: 10%; C: 9.3%, p = 0.9). There was no significant difference in mean airway_T (D: 10.62 ± 3.48 vs. C: 10.38 ± 3.47; p = 0.64) and airway_SP diameter (D: 4.59 ± 2.36 vs. C: 5.17 ± 3.9; p = 0.14) between the two groups. There was no significant difference in airway_T and airway_SP diameters amongst those who experienced and those who did not experience hypoxia in cases. Amongst controls however, the airway_SP was smaller in those who experienced hypoxia compared to those who did not experience hypoxia. Conclusions: There was no difference in the AP airway_T and airway_SP diameter during sedation using static MRI images in children with and without developmental disabilities. Changes in airway_SP was associated with hypoxia amongst controls in our study cohort.

Sedation, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Airway Diameter, Developmental Disabilities, Children

Kannikeswaran, N. , Mody, S. , Chen, X. , Zidan, M. and Sivaswamy, L. (2014) Anteroposterior Airway Diameter during Sedation for Brain MRI in Children with and without Developmental Disabilities. Open Journal of Anesthesiology, 4, 191-196. doi: 10.4236/ojanes.2014.48027.