MRI for an eight year old

[Traveller]

Has anyone had their child undergo an MRI and how did you prepare them for it? My eldest is likely to have one in the next few weeks if nothing changes and he is almost 8.

thanks

[nothing2lose]

Go for the sedation option. It is quite scary, long and it is imperative they are very still.

[Butterfly Dawn]

Sedative! they gotta be really still and its kinda scarey. If you got some rescue remedy this would be good to.
Sorry your child needs 1

Sorry if it doesn't make sense, the barefoot princess is covering me with kisses

[Traveller]

oh ok, the hospital didn't suggest sedation so I didn't realise it was an option. I'm waiting for his appoinment detail so I'll bring it up then, thanks

WRT it being scary, they seemed to think that because he withstood EMG nerve conduction testing that this would be a breeze, but I want to make sure he is as clued into the process as possible before he goes into it.

[Little Chicken]

Is he good in contained spaces? Can he handle loud banging and clicking? Most importantly, can he lie completely still for longish periods of time? If so, he might not need sedation.

[RhiChiChi]

^^ yeah it is scary because you go in a large capsule type thing and wear headphones with music playing to drown out the noise but you can still hear it. It take ages too, they are so precise with it all, so it is hard to be still for a long period of time. You can't be with him either - he goes in by himself and you will stand outside.

[Traveller]

It's his arm that needs doing so his head might be outside the MRI tube but I think he'll be ok with loud noises. From what I've read they tend not to sedate kids over 7 but I would imagine it is considered on an individual basis. Will phone and ask once we have an appointment time

[Little Chicken]

It might not be, MRI tubes are pretty long.

[Traveller]

ok great, I'll warn him of that

although (and I am saying this quietly) he has had a tingle tonight which was close to his thumb area which would mean the nerve is recovering finally and no MRI would be necessary

[Kmn]

His whole person will have to go in the tube - the bit that does the measuring is only the middle part of the cylinder. It's really important that he understands that the machine has special "eyes" that can see through people to their insides. I remember as a kid thinking that the only way they were going to get pictures of my bones was to put holes in me to see them, and that wasn't a reassuring option.
Can you find a youtube video of an MRI machine or at least show him some pictures such as this one: http://www.mbi.monash.edu.au/facilities/cmri.html and explain what happens - it will be noisy, you will not be able to see very much because you will be in the tube, and you have to stay really still so the machine can see. The bed moves you through the tube - you don't have to move you.
Can you ask if he gets to choose his music and if he does help him do that.

[HotI]

i had mri s from around 9 years and never needed sedation. you know your kid best, i would avoid sedation if possible.

there is a mirror above your head that you can kinda see out the end. you can pick music/video but you can't hear it that well when the mri starts anyway.

[Traveller]

Thanks for the link KMN, I think that will really help

HotI, it's really reassuring to know you were ok with it. I would like to avoid sedation if possible and given the number of x-rays he has had recently I think he will be ok with the concept. I think I'm just panicking a little as I get claustrophobic but I need to remember that he is not me

[nothing2lose]

I am claustrophobic. I wish I had gone the sedation route. It is also very, very loud with startling noises that you need to keep still through.

[Traveller]

I spoke to on e of my nursing tutors today who said they will not offer him sedation and he would recommend not giving him anything because if he is spaced out then the noises might be scarier. I am a bit panicked now because I was told it would be in 2 - 3 weeks but instead we got a phone call saying it's tomorrow!

[Kmn]

Is he the kind of kid who will want to know what every noise is?
If he is, then:
His body is mostly water, and by watching the water in his body the radiographers can see pictures of the insides of his arm.

The tube is a big magnet - when water is in a big magnet the water starts to be able to pick up radio signals and "talk" to the radiographers and tell them how fast it is moving - blood will be moving fast, obviously, but even the water in things like muscles and nerves moves slowly. And differences in the speed of movement of the water are what is used to get the "picture". And it is so slow because they are taking hundreds of pictures to build up into a 3D image.

The big banging noises that he will hear are the switches that change the exact strength of the magnet, and also that send the radio signals - the strength that you need to detect fast moving water is different to that needed for slower water, so there will be lots and lots of switching bangs (every few seconds from memory). There are also noisy fans and noisy flows of fluid through hoses so that the switches don't overheat. And whirring noises from the bed moving.

[Traveller]

KMN that's awesome, thank you so much! I think that will really help him understand. His teacher has asked that he do a presentation to the class afterwards so that might help him too

[RhiChiChi]

KMN that's awesome, thank you so much! I think that will really help him understand. His teacher has asked that he do a presentation to the class afterwards so that might help him too

That is a great idea!

[Traveller]

The MRI went find today. He was quite happy and comfortable, no sedation needed. The only downside was he wanted to see the image and he was told he will have to wait until his outpatients appointment.