{"id":18416,"date":"2014-07-24T21:30:10","date_gmt":"2014-07-25T01:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jacksonvillemom.com\/?p=18416"},"modified":"2022-01-31T13:23:07","modified_gmt":"2022-01-31T18:23:07","slug":"wolfson-childrens-hospital-experts-imaging-gently-kids-sizes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jacksonvillemom.com\/health-wellness\/wolfson-childrens-hospital-experts-imaging-gently-kids-sizes\/","title":{"rendered":"Wolfson Children\u2019s Hospital: Experts in Imaging Gently for Kids of All Sizes"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Isabelle,<\/a>
Isabelle, a five-time Florida State Champion for AAU Gymnastics, broke her hand at the gym where she was practicing. She was seen at the Wolfson Children\u2019s Emergency Center at Baptist Clay, where Imaging & Diagnostics radiologic technologists are pediatric-trained to give the least amount of radiation possible for accurate results to protect kids.
Photo credit: Kristin Balcita Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\u00a0CT (computed tomography) scan<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0an MRI<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n

What makes\u00a0Wolfson Children\u2019s Hospital<\/a>\u00a0the best place for kids to go for pediatric imaging services is our \u201cImage Gently<\/a>\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

Parents may not know this but most X-rays and CT scanners have the ability to adjust dosage by entering the patient\u2019s weight. But not all centers do it nor are their technologists trained in \u201cImage Gently\u201d protocols.<\/p>\n

Our\u00a0Pediatric Imaging<\/a>\u00a0staff at Wolfson Children\u2019s Hospital and Imaging & Diagnostics at the Baptist Clay Medical Campus\u00a0<\/a>(located in the same facility as our Wolfson Children\u2019s Emergency Center<\/a>\u00a0in Fleming Island) use special software called\u00a0ASiR (Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction<\/a>). It helps the technologist use the scanner to get clearer pictures while the lowest-possible radiation dose.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very conscientious about the dosing required for some imaging scans because the effects of radiation are cumulative and last a lifetime,\u201d says Suzanne Scott, RT (R) (CT), manager of Pediatric Imaging at Wolfson Children\u2019s Hospital. \u201cChildren are particularly sensitive to radiation, so we are committed to providing the least amount of radiation needed for the most accurate results.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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\u2019s common sense to limit the exposure whenever possible.<\/p>\n

For\u00a0Elizabeth McGraw, MD,<\/a>\u00a0a pediatric radiologist with\u00a0Nemours Children\u2019s Clinic, Jacksonville<\/a>, having this knowledge as a doctor was helpful to her when her child needed multiple CT scans. When Dr. McGraw\u2019s son Ben was a toddler,\u00a0<\/em>he had a benign growth in his middle ear that was diagnosed at Wolfson Children\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s reassuring as a parent to know that\u00a0<\/em>the CT scanner at Wolfson Children\u2019s Hospital is calibrated with children in mind so it delivers the lowest dose of radiation possible while still yielding a high quality, diagnostic study,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen it comes to radiation dose, we realize that \u201cless is more,\u201d and I work diligently to produce an examination that is of diagnostic quality, yet delivers the lowest dose of radiation that is reasonably achievable.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Wolfson Children\u2019s 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cChildren aren\u2019t little adults. They have unique medical needs,\u201d says Scott. \u201cHaving the right hardware and the right software isn\u2019t where it ends \u2013 that\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you would like to read or leave a review about Wolfson Children\u2019s Hospital, visit our Around Town Directory below.<\/h3>\n