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The impact of preparation and support procedures for children with sickle cell disease undergoing MRI

Katherine R Cejda1, Matthew P Smeltzer, Eileen N Hansbury

  • 1Child Life Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Mail Stop 121, Memphis, TN 38105, USA. katherine.cejda@stjude.org

Pediatric Radiology
|June 20, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Preparation and support procedures (PSP) helped children with sickle cell disease (SCD) complete MRI scans without sedation. This approach improves MRI accessibility and safety for pediatric SCD patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Radiology
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) require MRI for monitoring but often need sedation due to immobility.
  • Sedation poses risks for SCD patients, highlighting the need for alternative strategies.
  • Preparation and Support Procedures (PSP) were implemented to improve patient cooperation during MRI.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of PSP in reducing sedation for pediatric SCD patients undergoing MRI.
  • To assess the impact of PSP on the successful completion of MRI examinations.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving children aged 5-12 with SCD undergoing brain or liver MRI.
  • Data collected on MRI completion rates with and without PSP.
  • Statistical analysis, including odds ratios, to determine the impact of PSP.

Main Results:

  • 91% of children receiving PSP completed interpretable MRI exams, compared to 71% without PSP.
  • PSP significantly increased the likelihood of successful MRI completion (OR=4.1, P=0.04; adjusted OR=8.5, P<0.01).
  • The study included 71 children with SCD undergoing brain (n=60) or liver (n=11) MRI.

Conclusions:

  • PSP is an effective strategy for enabling children with SCD to undergo MRI without sedation.
  • Implementing PSP can enhance MRI accessibility and patient safety in pediatric SCD care.
  • Nonsedated MRI is achievable for pediatric SCD patients using structured preparation.
Abstract

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