Scan for children

Computerized tomography (CT) is a scanner diagnostic that allows the creation of a series of bones, blood vessels and soft tissues from different angles or cross sections with the help of x rays. Scanner diagnostics provides more infrared information than X-ray. This method plays an important role in detecting illness or injury of various organs, as well as in monitoring the effects of therapy. The whole procedure is completely painless, lasts about 30 minutes and can be performed in newborns, younger children and older children.

WHY IT IS DONE / INDICATIONS

• In children, CT testing is done to detect the cause of belly pain, detect the extent of injury, stage malignant disease, evaluate response to therapy (in case of illness), detect and monitor infectious or inflammatory diseases. With the help of CT, it is possible to get a detailed picture of the heart and blood vessels.

• CT diagnosis is also recommended in determining the extent of injury, especially in the abdomen (liver, kidneys and spleen). CT diagnosis is also used to detect inflammation of the blind (apendicitis), tumors, various defects and congenital anomalies seen at birth, kidney stones, etc.

HOW IT IS PERFORMED?

• A healthcare worker will put your child in a certain position on the test desk (most often it’s a lying position on the back). In order to maintain the appropriate position, pillows or other objects can be placed. If your child experiences anxiety or any discomfort during the recording, he / she can inform you or our healthcare staff. When a health worker places the child in an appropriate position, he moves to a neighboring room, which is separated by a window and starts recording.

• Depending on the type of scan, it may be necessary to use a contrast medium during recording. The contrast medium can be swallowed, placed over the vein (intravenous) or placed in the form of a suppository. After that, the screen is moved to the machine, and the machine rotates in a certain direction, depending on the scanner type.

• It may be necessary for your child to keep his breath at a certain point, especially if the CT scanner is working. Most children older than 6 years of age can easily keep their breath on the instructions. With younger children there may be a problem with the implementation of this requirement, therefore it is best to explain to younger children that it is necessary to breathe softly and at equal intervals.

POTENTIAL RISKS

• In this study, a certain radiation dose is inevitably exposed (doctors always try to be the smallest possible dose of radiation and require this examination only in cases where it is necessary).

• There is a risk of complications due to the use of general anesthesia or analgosedation. The risk of developing an allergic reaction to a contrast medium is small, and if an allergic reaction occurs, they are usually mild.

PREPARATION

• Your child should wear comfortable, wider clothes. There may be a need for your child to take off his clothes. Items made of metal such as jewelry, glasses, hearing aids or sachets must be removed.

• If your child is under general anesthesia or analgesia, it will take several hours before eating and drinking. Children who were assigned a pre-trial period were ill, will not be under analgesia or general anesthesia.

• It is necessary to inform the doctor about all medicines your child is taking, as well as allergy to certain medications, contrast agents, iodine or seafood (if any). It is also necessary to inform your doctor about whether your child has recently been ill, has asthma, some heart disease, diabetes, kidney problems, or thyroid gland. Some of these diseases may affect the physician’s decision as to whether it is necessary and safe to use the contrast medium during this test.

AFTER RECORDING

• CT diagnosis is a painless, quick and easy procedure, which although painless can give the child an unpleasant experience because of the need to be calmly positioned in a certain position.

• If the contrast agent is given via a vein (intravenous), your child may feel pain when placing a cannula in the vein. While giving the contrast medium intravenously, your child can feel a body’s warmth or metal taste in the mouth that lasts for several minutes. After giving a contrast medium, your child may feel itching or get a skinhead, which can be eliminated using certain medications. If your child gets sick or complains about difficulty breathing, you should immediately inform your health care staff. If your child develops any type of an allergic reaction to a contrast agent, you should inform your healthcare staff and emphasize if there is a need for CT scanning in the future.

• Contrasting drink can be an unpleasant taste for your child. The contrast medium can be mixed with water or juice, but most children well tolerate the use of a contrast medium in this way. Very rarely, there is a need for a contrast agent to be applied in the form of capsules when your child can complain of feeling overwhelmed or needing to empty the bowel. You need to encourage your child and explain that this unpleasant feeling only takes a few minutes.

• During the recording, the healthcare worker leaves the recording room and moves to a neighboring room from which he will be able to spot your child and communicate with him. One of the parents may be allowed to be with the child in the same room, but only if wearing protective equipment that protects it from radiation, although the radiation around the machine is minimal. If you suspect that you are pregnant, it is recommended that someone else be with your child during the examination.

• If CT testing is performed in smaller children who are not able to stand still in one position during the examination, it may be necessary to use general anesthesia or analgosedation. After examining under anesthesia, you need to wait a certain amount of time after examination to see if your child is sufficiently awake.

• If anesthesia is not used during CT examination, your child can immediately return to normal daily activities. If anesthesia or anal gestation is used during the recording, your child needs to spend some time after the examination at the hospital. You will receive instructions on reducing your child’s activity during the day, if there is a need for that.