Paediatric Imaging

Little growing bodies are different from adult ones, and require different care. Just as you wouldn’t expect a child to receive an adult dose of medication, neither is it good for them to be exposed to an adult dose of radiation.

Queensland X-Ray will always take care to reduce the radiation exposure, and to use ultrasound and MRI where possible in place of examinations which use ionising radiation when we are imaging a child patient.

We also understand that having tests done can be daunting for your child, but we find it is helpful and reassuring to explain to them what the experience will be like before their examination. Click on the animals below to see a series of brochures which will help you and your child understand all about their examination.

 

 

 

 

A number of parents have concerns about the radiation children will be exposed to during imaging tests. Many people are unaware that ionising radiation is actually found around us all the time – in the soil, the air, plants, buildings etc. This is called background radiation. Medical imaging represents only a very small fraction of our lifetime exposure to background radiation. It is also important to understand there are different types of radiation for different tests.

X-Ray – invisible beams of ionising radiation.

CT – beams of ionising radiation from a source rotated around the body.

Nuclear Medicine – tests using small amounts of radioactive drugs which emit gamma rays. The levels of exposure depend on the type of study.

MRI – uses non-ionising radiation. MRI uses magnetic fields and radio-frequency waves to excite hydrogen protons within body tissues to produce faint radio signals.

You can watch the MRI video by clicking on the lamb, to see what it's like to have an MRI.

 

Please speak with your radiologist and booking staff if you have ongoing concerns, or visit www.pedrad.org