COMPUTERIZED AXIAL TOMOGRAPHY

Objectives: to evaluate the clinical safety, effectiveness, efficacy andpotential side effects of sedation in pediatric patients undergoing computerized tomography by intrarectal thiopentoneand to compare this technique with general anaesthesia for computerized tomography in paediatric patients. StudyDesign: Interventional and analytical / comparative study. Place and duration of study: The study was carried outin 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 samplingand divided into 2 groups A and B, each comprising of 30 children .Group A was sedated by thiopentone sodium thatwas administered rectally and group B received general anaesthesia with a uniform technique. Results: in group Aquality of sedation was judged to be adequate in 26 out of 30 patients (86.6%). Another 2 were sedated but requiredmild restraint like reposition of the neck leaving 2 with inadequate sedation or an overall failure rate of 6.66%.In groupB the success rate was 100% with no observation of any complication. Conclusion: rectally administered thiopentalis a safe and effective sedative for paediatric patients requiring CT scanning in the presence of anaesthesiologist andthe failure rate is very low. General anaesthesia makes CT scan more successful with minimal adverse events.