Parents accuse staff of negligence after child dies during MRI scan

Questions are swirling in the medical community following the death of a child during a recent MRI scan. 

A 6-year-old boy died last week during a scan in Noida—a city in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh—after being sedated for the exam. The child is said to have been undergoing an MRI under sedation at a private diagnostic imaging center when his health began to deteriorate, leading to the loss of consciousness. 

The child was rushed to a nearby hospital when his family could not wake him up, and he was pronounced dead shortly after. The incident is currently under investigation, but the boy’s family alleges the staff’s negligence is to blame. They allege their son was either given a lethal dose of anesthesia or that the medication used to sedate him may have been tainted in some way. When the family asked staff for details about the dose administered, they were allegedly given unclear answers, prompting them to seek legal counsel. 

Sedation is common in pediatric MRI exams

The child’s death has sparked questions about the use of sedation when imaging of children. To help keep pediatric patients still during exams, providers commonly administer some form of sedation prior to an MRI scan. Though this is generally safe, many practices have expressed interest in alternative calming methods.  

Methods organizations have turned to include virtual reality experiences, dedicated staff members trained in pediatric behavioral health to help comfort children before and during exams, accelerated sequences and more.  

The exact cause of the child’s death has not yet been determined, with the incident currently under investigation.