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Paediatric 99mTc-DMSA imaging: Reducing distress and rate of sedation using a psychological approach
1St George's Hospital, London, UK.
Insights
A psychological approach significantly reduced distress and sedation in children during 99mTc-DMSA imaging. Providing a photo-booklet further decreased pre-procedure distress and improved appointment attendance.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Radiology
- Child Psychology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Distress and sedation are common challenges in pediatric nuclear medicine imaging.
- Technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid (99mTc-DMSA) imaging requires patient cooperation.
- Minimizing distress is crucial for a positive patient experience and accurate imaging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of a psychological intervention on pediatric distress and sedation during 99mTc-DMSA scans.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of distraction, environmental manipulation, and a coping model photo-booklet.
- To determine if these interventions affect service satisfaction and appointment attendance.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 81 children (baseline) followed by a prospective study of 40 children receiving psychological interventions.
- Interventions included distraction, environmental changes, and a photo-booklet with coping strategies.
- Data collected via medical records and questionnaires.
Main Results:
- The intervention group showed significantly lower sedation rates (p=0.003) and higher satisfaction (p=0.002) compared to baseline.
- Children receiving the photo-booklet exhibited less pre-procedure distress (p=0.01).
- Families receiving the photo-booklet had higher appointment attendance rates (p=0.024).
Conclusions:
- A psychological approach effectively reduces distress and sedation in children undergoing 99mTc-DMSA imaging.
- The photo-booklet intervention is particularly beneficial for reducing pre-procedure distress and improving attendance.
- These non-pharmacological methods enhance the pediatric imaging experience without compromising image quality.
Aim:
To evaluate the effect of a psychological approach on distress and sedation rates in children undergoing dimer captosuccinic acid-labelled with technetium-99 (99mTc) DMSA imaging.
Materials And Methods:
Baseline data, on a retrospective consecutive sample of children examined using DMSA over a 6-month period (n = 81), were collected via medical note search and postal questionnaire. A further consecutive sample of 40 children was recruited prospectively to the intervention, which consisted of distraction during medical procedures and environmental manipulation. In addition half of the intervention group were provided with a photo-booklet depicting a coping child model, together with a letter offering advice to parents on how to prepare their child for the procedure.
Results:
Sedation rates were lower (p = 0.003) and service satisfaction ratings higher (p = 0.002) in the Intervention group as compared with the Baseline group. Within the intervention condition, children who received the photo-booklet displayed less distress before the procedure (p = 0.01) than those who did not. Also families who received the photo-booklet were more likely to attend the appointment (p = 0.024).
Conclusion:
In this study, the use of a psychological approach was associated with lower rates of distress and sedation in children undergoing 99mTc-DMSA imaging, without compromising image quality.
