Assessing Radiology Practice Patterns for Obtaining MRI in Pediatric Patients with MR-Conditional Tracheostomy Tubes

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Pediatric Radiology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Silicone tracheostomy tubes offer comfort for pediatric patients but are MR-conditional due to wire reinforcement.
• Standardized protocols for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children with these tubes are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate current practice patterns in radiology departments for performing MRI in pediatric patients with MR-conditional tracheostomy tubes.
• To identify variations in protocols and potential contributing factors to inconsistent MRI procedures.

Main Methods:

• A 7-question telephone survey was administered to MRI technologists at US children's hospitals.
• The survey aimed to determine facility protocols for MRI in children with tracheostomy tubes.

Main Results:

• Of 59 respondents from 40 facilities, only 50% included tracheostomy tubes on their medical implant questionnaires.
• Protocols varied significantly: 15% changed tubes to MR-safe, 14.7% used only 1.5T magnets, and 82.3% followed manufacturer guidelines.
• Awareness of MRI artifact related to tracheostomy tubes varied, with some facilities changing tubes based on scanning region.

Conclusions:

• There is a lack of standardized protocols for MRI in pediatric patients with MR-conditional tracheostomy tubes across US children's hospitals.
• This inconsistency may result in unnecessary tracheostomy tube changes.
• Further research is needed to define artifact-affected regions and develop standardized MRI protocols.