IOWA CITY, Iowa, May 12 (UPI) -- A Web site is making it easier for U.S. magnetic resonance imaging schedulers to better estimate the time of the procedure to make it easier for children.
The computer program calculates how long the scan will take using the patient's age and the scheduled start time for the procedure. The program also can calculate the exact times at which a child can safely have his or her last food and drink, according to the University of Iowa researchers.
Having a young child scheduled for an MRI or computed tomography scan to diagnose a potentially serious condition can be worrying for parents. Adding to the anxiety is the fact that these scans often are done under general anesthetic to ensure that young children remain motionless and calm. A delay in the scheduled start time of the scan can increase anxiety and the young child has to go without food or drink, a pre-anesthesia requirement, for longer than necessary.
The results of the study were published in Anesthesia and Analgesia.
