Having Cough And Nasal Drip. Taking Allergy Medication. Can She Go For MRI Scan?

Posted on Tue, 11 Jun 2013

Question: My daughter (22 mos) is scheduled to have a sedated MRI on Friday under General Anasthesia. She caught a cold in late April, when she was last scheduled to have the MRI and we needed to postpone until this week. She has a lingering cough and some post nasal drip that developed after the cold, which we think may be due to allergies. She is currently on allergy medication. She is still a little congested and has the cough, however. Should we proceed as scheduled? She could not be sedated due to her apnea history so I'm concerned about her respiration under GA.

Answered by Dr. Hema Yadav (52 minutes later)

Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
General anaesthesia can cause complications like post anaesthesia pneumonia or respiratory failure or prolonged recovery if it is given during a bout of respiratory infection ( cough colds).
Considering your child has had a past history of apnoea, current ongoing cough & respiratory congestion and is on medication it would be advisable to consult the anaesthesiologist for a thorough evaluation and anaesthesia fitness before going for an MRI under GA.
In most cases the risk versus benefit is weighed for individual cases and decision can be taken as to wether it is necessary to undergo the procedure with due risks or better to postpone it. Considering your child's medical history I would recommend to consider waiting for complete recovery before undergoing the procedure under GA.However it would be most appropriate to get your child evaluated for fitness by her pediatrician or the anaesthesiologist undertaking the procedure .
Hope that answers your query.
Please let me know if you have any further doubts.
Wishing your child good health.
Regards

Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar