MRI with Anesthesia

What is an MRI?

• An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a way to take pictures (images) of the inside of the body, using magnets and radio waves.
• During an MRI, your child will lie on a table that slides into a tube-like machine.

                 MRI Machine

What is an MRI with anesthesia?

• To get good images during an MRI, the patient needs to stay very still. Most children are unable to stay still for that long, so they will need anesthesia.
• Patients receive anesthesia medicines either through a gas they breathe in with a mask or through a small tube (IV) in their arm or hand. The anesthesia medicine will put your child in a brief, sleep-like state, so that your child will not be aware of the MRI.

How do you schedule an MRI with anesthesia?

• Call the Radiology Department at 212-263-8868. Press 5, then press 1 to speak to an operator who can schedule your child’s MRI with anesthesia.
• Appointments are available Monday through Friday between 8:30am-3:00pm and one Saturday per month. 
• Arrival time is always one hour before your child’s scheduled appointment.

How do you prepare for your child’s MRI with anesthesia?

• A few days before your child’s procedure, you will get a phone call (pre-procedure call) from a nurse at the hospital.
• The nurse will give you specific instructions about when your child should stop eating and drinking. 

During the pre-procedure call, the nurse will confirm some details about your child and the MRI, including:

1. What procedure will your child have?
2. Does your child have any allergies (food or medication)?
3. In the past two weeks, did your child have a cold, fever, cough, or rash?
4. Does your child take any medications or supplements at home? 
5. Does your child see a cardiologist or pulmonologist?

During the pre-procedure phone call, the nurse will tell you if you need to bring any medicines from home.

REMINDER: Some patients may require testing (blood sugar or pregnancy screening) on the day of the scan. A nurse will discuss with you whether this testing is needed.

When to start fasting and why?

• For your child’s safety, your child will need to stop eating and drinking before receiving anesthesia. Food or liquid in the stomach during anesthesia is dangerous and can cause death.
• During the pre-procedure phone call, the nurse will give you the exact instructions about when to stop giving your child food and drink (fasting).
• Please follow the fasting instructions* carefully.
• If you do not follow the instructions, you will cause the delay or cancellation of your child's MRI.

*Some procedures require special fasting instructions. Please alert the nurse during the pre-procedure call if your child’s doctor gave you special fasting instructions.  

Where do you go for the MRI?

• Enter the main hospital at 550 1^st Avenue.
• Take the blue pathway to the Tisch lobby.
• Take the south elevators to the second floor.
• On the second floor, sign in at the kiosk.
• A member of the MRI team will bring you and your child to meet the nurse, a child life specialist and the anesthesiologist.

How does the team prepare your child and you at the hospital?

• Your child’s nurse will confirm your child’s name/date of birth and the type of MRI your child is having.
• The nurse will weigh your child and measure your child’s blood pressure and heart rate (vital signs).
• The nurse and the anesthesiologist will talk to you, answer your questions, and get your signed consent for the MRI with anesthesia.
• The child life specialist will help prepare your child and make them feel comfortable for the MRI with anesthesia. They will use words and play activities that match your child’s age.