Because kids and accidents seem to go together, chances are pretty good that your child will need an X-ray at some time during childhood. Some kids may even require a more advanced test like a CT (computed tomography) scan or an MRI. While these tests can be used to diagnose the most serious illnesses and injuries in children, they also are great tools for checking for the minor injuries kids are prone to, from broken bones to soft tissue injuries.
What makes Wolfson Children’s Hospital the best place for kids to go for pediatric imaging services is our “Image Gently” pledge. That means we are committed to using the smallest dose of radiation possible in order to get the information our pediatric radiologists and other pediatric sub-specialists need to make decisions about treatment.
Parents may not know this but most X-rays and CT scanners have the ability to adjust dosage by entering the patient’s weight. But not all centers do it nor are their technologists trained in “Image Gently” protocols.
Our Pediatric Imaging staff at Wolfson Children’s Hospital and Imaging & Diagnostics at the Baptist Clay Medical Campus (located in the same facility as our Wolfson Children’s Emergency Center in Fleming Island) use special software called ASiR (Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction). It helps the technologist use the scanner to get clearer pictures while the lowest-possible radiation dose.
“We are very conscientious about the dosing required for some imaging scans because the effects of radiation are cumulative and last a lifetime,” says Suzanne Scott, RT (R) (CT), manager of Pediatric Imaging at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. “Children are particularly sensitive to radiation, so we are committed to providing the least amount of radiation needed for the most accurate results.”
Scott explains that some children require more than one X-ray or CT scan during the course of their injury or illness, first to diagnose the problem and afterwards, to monitor healing and recovery. A child with a ruptured appendix, for example, would typically have a CT scan to confirm diagnosis and possibly more for follow-up to make sure any related infection or complication resolves. Once introduced, radiation exposure adds up in the body over time and although there is no specific threshold identified, it’s common sense to limit the exposure whenever possible.
For Elizabeth McGraw, MD, a pediatric radiologist with Nemours Children’s Clinic, Jacksonville, having this knowledge as a doctor was helpful to her when her child needed multiple CT scans. When Dr. McGraw’s son Ben was a toddler, he had a benign growth in his middle ear that was diagnosed at Wolfson Children’s Hospital with a CT scan, and he needed to be monitored a few times after it was removed. As a pediatric radiologist and as a parent, knowing the dosing was adjusted for his size put her more at ease.
“It’s reassuring as a parent to know that the CT scanner at Wolfson Children’s Hospital is calibrated with children in mind so it delivers the lowest dose of radiation possible while still yielding a high quality, diagnostic study,” she says. “When it comes to radiation dose, we realize that “less is more,” and I work diligently to produce an examination that is of diagnostic quality, yet delivers the lowest dose of radiation that is reasonably achievable.”
Wolfson Children’s Hospital is geared toward the needs of children of all ages and sizes with a variety of illnesses or injuries that need diagnostic imaging for aid in treatment.
“Children aren’t little adults. They have unique medical needs,” says Scott. “Having the right hardware and the right software isn’t where it ends – that’s where it begins. You must couple that with having board-certified pediatric radiologists, pediatric-trained radiologic technologists who are experts in dealing with kids, and the mission to provide the best care possible to our patients.”