Pediatric Radiology and Imaging

Pediatric radiology is a sub specialty medical discipline of radiology that deals with the imaging of infants, children and adolescents. This imaging includes various types of scans of different body parts assisting the physicians with diagnosing and treatments.

Medicine has been using ionizing radiationIonizing radiation consists of particles or electromagnetic waves that are energetic enough to detach electrons from atoms or molecules, thus ionizing them(Source: Wikipedia). for decades know in order to help diagnose and treat patients. Medical imaging usage has substantially grown in the past few years, particularly the use of Cat ScansA medical imaging method employing tomography (imaging by sections) created by computer processing (Source: Wikipedia). (also called CT scans), as they provide much more information about the anatomy and diseases in the body than other imaging techniques.

A pediatric radiologist specializes in taking and interpreting the various scans of the body, using different imaging techniques such as plain film radiography, contrast studies, ultrasonography, nuclear radiology, computerized tomography (CT), digital radiography, angiography, interventional techniques and magnetic resonance imagingAn MRI makes use of the property of Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to image nuclei of atoms inside the body (Source: Wikipedia). (MRI).

Pediatric Radiologist Video

Children's health issues and body structures differ substantially from full grown adults as they are still developing and constantly changing. Pediatric radiology must recognize that fact and act accordingly. As children are more radiosensitive than adults, when treating children it is important to adhere to the ALARA principles ('as low as reasonably achievable') limiting the doses and reduce the amount of radiation used. Pediatric radiologists use specific protocols for the age and size of the child.

In general, the pediatric radiologist does not decide on treatments or makes a prognosis, but they do describe the diagnosis and explain what is being visualized to the parents or the physician. They may also determine when it is recommended to use other visualization techniques to reach a better diagnosis.

Some of the most common diseases pediatric radiologists are required to apply imaging are leukemia, meningitis, congenital abnormalities, osteosarcoma and more.

Pediatric Radiology Training

A trained pediatric radiologist must be skilled at obtaining the best images for an accurate diagnosis of a child's condition, while keeping them as safe and comfortable as possible. This is often achieved by these following factors:

• The use of imaging equipment specifically designed or adapted for children
• Addressing the special needs of children
• Using the lowest doses possible of radiation

A pediatric radiologist will go through two specialized trainings in addition to his regular medical studies. After completing medical school, the pediatric radiologist must complete a three year internship in radiology and then move on to a subspecialty fellowship in pediatric radiology.

If your child has encountered a diagnosis that requires additional imaging and requires high tech equipment, TicketMed works with top pediatric radiology and imaging institutes and can assist you with information and scheduling sessions with pediatric radiologists. Contact us.