Top 10 Pediatric MRI Challenges
Working with children can be one of the most challenging aspects of being a radiologist. Many issues can complicate performing an MRI scan on a child, whether it's imaging technology or patient compliance.
Here are the top 10 common challenges radiologists face when working with children.
1. Patient Compliance – One of the biggest challenges when dealing with young patients is getting them to cooperate and remain still for long periods. This is especially true for MRI scans, which require the patient to stay still to get the best-quality images. Many radiology departments use "buddy systems" to combat this problem, where a parent or other adult remains in the room with the child during the scan.
2. Anesthesia – In some cases, anesthesia may be necessary to help keep children still during an MRI scan. But anesthesia carries its own risks and should only be used as a last resort if other methods have failed. It's essential to weigh these risks carefully before proceeding with anesthetic measures.
3. Age-Appropriate Imaging Technology – Another challenge facing radiologists is finding age-appropriate imaging technology that will yield accurate results without causing undue stress or discomfort to young patients. Many radiology departments only have adult-sized arrays.
4 . Limited Field of View – The smaller size of children means that their bodies don't fit into traditional scanners very well; this can lead to limited field-of-view (FOV) images that don't provide enough detail for accurate diagnoses. Specialized pediatric scanners can help address this problem by delivering larger FOV images that capture more patient anatomy and physiology information.
5 . Noise Sensitivity – One common side effect of MRI scans is loud noise from the scanner itself; this can be especially problematic for younger patients who may find it difficult to block out these noises or remain calm despite them. Special noise mitigation techniques such as headphones and music can help reduce stress levels in these cases and make it easier for patients to complete their scans without issue.
6 . Motion Artifact – Young patients often cannot remain perfectly still during scans due to natural movements caused by breathing or muscle spasms; these movements can cause artifacts on images which make an accurate diagnosis more difficult or even impossible in some cases. A pediatric-sized body array explicitly designed for pediatric imaging can help minimize movement artifacts by averaging multiple frames together for improved image quality and accuracy.
7 . Anatomical Variations – Children's anatomy differs significantly from adults', so standard protocols may not yield optimal results; specialized protocols must be developed to accurately capture the relevant details about a patient's anatomy. Anatomical variations between individual children may also necessitate additional tweaks beyond basic protocol adjustments.
8 . Communication Barriers – One common challenge radiologists face is communicating effectively with younger patients who may not understand complex medical terminology or concepts; this means that extra care must be taken when explaining procedures and results to avoid confusing or frighten young patients unnecessarily.
9 . Parental Anxiety - Parents often feel anxious about having their child undergo medical procedures such as an MRI scan; radiologists must take extra care when speaking with parents to avoid invoking unnecessary fear or worry about potential outcomes.
10 . Equipment Limitations - Many hospitals do not have access to specialized pediatric-sized body array, which could improve both image quality and accuracy; instead, they must rely on standard adult equipment, which may produce lower-quality images due, in part, to the poor fit caused by small body sizes.
Performing an MRI scan on a child presents unique challenges compared with working with adults due primarily to anatomical differences, lack of cooperation from youthful patients, and parental anxiety over potential outcomes. However, by understanding these challenges ahead of time, radiologists can better prepare themselves—and their patients—for successful scans that yield reliable results every time! With proper planning and preparation, radiologists can confidently tackle these challenges head-on, ensuring smooth scans that maximize both safety and accuracy for their young patients regardless of age or size!
Radiologists who want to improve their pediatric MRI imaging should check InkSpace Imaging's pediatric body array. Our featherlight, flexible body array is designed to address the top 10 challenges radiologists face when trying to image kids. It delivers extraordinary imaging by allowing you to get closer to your patient.