A retrospective analysis of paediatric medical imaging utilisation in Ireland, 2019-2023

While longitudinal studies in the United States and Canada show increased use of non-ionising imaging and reduced paediatric CT, recent data on imaging trends in Europe are lacking. This study examines paediatric imaging trends from 2019 to 2023 in Ireland, including age-specific patterns and procedure frequencies.

A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted within Irish paediatric hospitals. Data extracted from the Radiology Information Systems, including examination counts for conventional X-ray (XR), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound (US), nuclear medicine (NM), and fluoroscopically guided procedures in patients under 18 years. Examinations were categorised by modality, anatomical region, and age group. Annual imaging volumes and utilisation trends were assessed.

A total of 634,770 examinations were performed: 73.7% XR, 12.4% US, 5.4% MRI, 4.4% CT, 3.4% fluoroscopy, and 0.63% NM. Ionising radiation was used in 82.2% of all examinations. Imaging volumes declined by 15.2% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but recovered fully by 2022. From 2019 to 2023, CT (+20.3%), US (+16.5%), and MRI (+8.6%) showed the highest growth. XR and ultrasound were most common in infants, while CT and MRI showed a more uniform distribution, with brain imaging being the most frequent examination for both.

This contemporary multi-centre analysis of paediatric imaging in Ireland demonstrates a sustained reliance on XR and US, increasing CT utilisation, underscoring the ongoing need for justification and radiation dose optimisation in paediatric practice. It also highlights the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on imaging trends.