Dear Pediatric Imaging Insider,
I grew up reading fairy tales, adventure stories, and science fiction. So identifying an assignment that focused on the magic that can be created in a radiology department with innovation and imagination -- magic that can reduce pediatric sedation rates by 99% -- was just plain fun.
This issue's Insider Exclusive reports on the positive effects an imaginative environment for children within a radiology department can provide, not only for patients and their parents, but also for department operations and the always-important financial bottom line.
Kudos to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, which has made extraordinary inroads in turning diagnostic imaging into a wonderful experience for children. And kudos to a dedicated outpatient clinic for children that also is transforming the mundane x-ray examination. Click here to read and share this story.
If you haven't done so already, sharing one article that AuntMinnie.com published a few weeks ago with emergency department colleagues could contribute to the Image Gently initiative. How? Hospital emergency departments with well-established protocols for transferring and accepting DICOM CDs can lower the rate of repeat CT scans for kids. Read about it by clicking here.
Should emergency physicians perform ultrasound exams to diagnose children presenting with suspected acute appendicitis? Senior editor Erik L. Ridley reports about a presentation made at the recent American College of Emergency Physicians meeting. Whether you agree or disagree about whether nonradiologists should read these exams, you'll undoubtedly find this presentation interesting.
Ditto for the innovative use of MRI of the lungs to predict survival in infants with hernias. International editor Eric Barnes attended the American Academy of Pediatrics annual meeting -- read his report by clicking here.
RSNA is just a few weeks away, and AuntMinnie.com's coverage will, of course, include scientific and poster sessions about pediatric imaging. In the meantime, remember to check in regularly with your Pediatric Imaging Digital Community.
