[Intramuscular methohexital. A simple and reliable means of sedation for cerebral computed tomography in children].

Intramuscular methohexital sedation was retained as an easy and reliable method to sedate children for a C.T. scan. In this retrospective study of 50 cases of children aged from 2 months to 7 years all the children were administrated an oral premedication (diazepam: 1 drop/kg and atropine: 0.02 mg.kg-1) one hour before the scanner examination. Once in the operating room, they were administrated 10 mg.kg-1 methohexital saline 2.5% solution, intramuscularly deep in the buttock. E.C.G. was the main monitoring. Spontaneous breathing was evidenced by means of a simple device. At the end of the scan, the child was taken care for in the recovery room. The methohexital dose provided adequate sedation in most cases. Once the injection was given, a motionless state was reached in 4.20 minutes. The insertion of an intravenous catheter induced movements in 96% cases, which did not interfere with the successful intravenous puncture. In 33% cases, 1 to 2 mg.kg-1 ketamine was necessary because of a failed attempt at obtaining the required state, or of an awakening due to iodized injection. Among those cases, half the children were overweight for their ages. In this situation an adjusting dose should be considered. On average, a child under the influence of the drug slept for 35 minutes and the required time for a C.T. scan is 23.3 minutes. Time in the recovery room is on average 20 minutes. There was no episode of cardiovascular or respiration failure, or local reaction at the injection site. There was also no episode of seizure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)