Doctors get information about your child’s illness or injury from many sources: a physical exam, a family medical history, and blood tests and other lab work, just to name a few. But in many cases, a diagnosis can’t be made until a doctor gets a good look inside your child’s body – and that’s where the Nemours Radiology Department comes in.
Radiology, also known as Medical Imaging, allows doctors to use a variety of noninvasive tests (studies where no instrument is inserted inside the body) to “see” your child’s bones and organs and check for abnormalities. These studies are performed in a state-of-the-art department by radiology team members who are specially trained to work with children.
Your child’s safety and comfort is our utmost concern. Not only is the equipment we use specially designed or adapted to the needs of children, but we are also thoroughly committed to limiting your child’s radiation exposure by using the lowest dose necessary to get an accurate image.
Our team members include:
- Pediatric radiologists, who are board-certified doctors and have completed a fellowship in pediatric radiology. They interpret all of the various types of imaging studies in children. This is important because children are not just small adults, and assessing their anatomy requires special expertise.
- X-ray technologists (techs), who are certified specialists trained to perform X-ray tests and assist radiologists with some of their more complex studies. There are several types of X-ray technologists, each one requiring its own specific training (ultrasound, CAT scan, MRI, or nuclear medicine, for example). Our technologists are not only highly skilled, they are especially adept at easing children’s fears and making them feel comfortable in the Medical Imaging department.
- Anesthesiologists and sedation doctors may be involved in your child’s care during certain tests. Some imaging tests, such as MRI scans, require perfect stillness for accurate results and so are better performed under sedation or anesthesia. In these cases, doctors will be there to ensure that your child is safely and effectively sedated.
- Nurses have several roles in the radiology department. If your child is having a test under sedation, a nurse will contact you to assist in scheduling and to provide information about the test, particularly if any special preparation is needed beforehand. They will also monitor and care for your child during the test as needed. For longer tests, they will keep you updated about your child’s progress.
- Child Life specialists are called upon when needed. They use age-appropriate techniques to minimize the stress of the test for your child. They may use play therapy with younger children, or offer movies children can watch during longer tests to help them relax.
There are many different types of imaging tests that your child’s doctor may order, depending on what type of information is needed. These may include:
- Plain X-rays – A plain X-ray is a simple, safe, and painless test that uses a small amount of radiation to take pictures of your child’s bones and internal organs.
- Computed axial tomography (CAT) scan – A CAT scan is a painless test that uses a special doughnut-shaped X-ray machine to take pictures of a certain part of your child’s body, such as the head, neck, or abdomen. The machine provides cross-sectional views of the body from various angles, which are then sent to a computer that can put them together to form detailed images. This test may also be performed with “contrast.” Contrast agents, usually administered by a nurse intravenously (through an IV), can highlight certain areas that doctors need to see in more detail.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – MRI is a safe and painless test that’s performed using a large doughnut-shaped scanner with a tunnel in the center. The scanner uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of your child’s organs and internal structures. MRI differs from a CAT scan in that it doesn't use radiation. MRA (magnetic resonance angiography) is a form of MRI that uses contrast dye and focuses on the blood vessels.
- Ultrasound – An ultrasound is a safe and painless test that uses sound waves to create images of the internal structures of a certain part of your child’s body. This is done by pressing a plastic probe on the skin over the area being evaluated. Gel is placed on the skin beforehand to allow the probe to glide easily.
- Nuclear medicine – Nuclear medicine involves the use of a tracer agent, often given through an IV that settles in the area of your child’s body that needs to be examined. There, it gives off energy in the form of gamma rays. This energy can be detected by scanners and provide high-resolution images. Sometimes nuclear imaging is combined with other types of studies (for example, a CAT scan may be performed simultaneously) to give extremely high-quality images.
- Fluoroscopy – This imaging study is like a moving X-ray. It is used to view movement, either of a part of the body or of a contrast agent moving through the body. One of the most common uses of fluoroscopy is in the upper GI series. This is when your child drinks the contrast agent barium sulfate, which helps highlight the anatomy of the digestive tract as a series of X-rays monitor the liquid’s movement through the esophagus and stomach.
Some of these tests are very brief and require no preparation at all, while others (particularly those that require anesthesia or sedation) require very specific preparation and may last an hour or more. You will be told when your child must stop eating and drinking before the study and the nurse or X-ray technician will give you all the information you need to know about your child’s test, and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Interventional Radiology
Interventional radiology is a type of medical imaging that relies on the expertise of a specially trained radiologist to perform a procedure that either diagnoses or treats a problem. A radiological technique – typically ultrasound, CAT scan, or fluoroscopy – is used to produce a real-time image that helps guide the radiologist in performing a medical procedure, such as inserting a long IV line, draining an abscess in the abdomen, placing a gastrostomy tube, or performing a biopsy.