Two Anesthetic Strategies for Pediatric Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Face-Mask Sevoflurane versus an Intravenous Propofol–Ketamine Regimen in a Randomized Parallel-Group Trial

Objective

To compare recovery time between two complete anesthetic strategies for pediatric magnetic resonance imaging: face-mask sevoflurane maintenance and intravenous ketamine–propofol induction followed by intermittent supplemental propofol boluses. Subjects and Methods: In this single-center randomized trial, 230 children aged 3 months to 10 years were assigned to propofol–ketamine (Group P) or sevoflurane (Group S). After 19 post-randomization exclusions, 211 participants were analyzed per protocol (Group P, n = 106; Group S, n = 105). The primary outcome was recovery time; secondary outcomes included protocol-specific anesthetic escalation, discharge time, respiratory and hemodynamic events, image quality, and peak Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) score.