Imaging sedation and anesthesia practice patterns in pediatric radiology departments — a survey of the Society of Chiefs of Radiology at Children’s Hospitals (SCORCH)

There are few data describing practice patterns related to the use of sedation/anesthesia for diagnostic imaging in pediatric radiology departments.

To understand current practice patterns related to imaging with sedation/anesthesia in pediatric radiology departments based on a survey of the Society of Chiefs of Radiology at Children’s Hospitals (SCORCH) in conjunction with the American College of Radiology’s Pediatric Imaging Sedation and Anesthesia Committee.

A multi-question survey related to imaging with sedation/anesthesia in pediatric radiology departments was distributed to SCORCH member institutions in January 2019. A single reminder email was sent. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed.

Of the 84 pediatric radiology departments, 23 (27%) completed the survey. Fifty-seven percent of the respondents self-identified as academic/university-affiliated and 13% as a division/section in an adult radiology department. Imaging sedation (excluding general anesthesia) is commonly performed by pediatric anesthesiologists (76%) and intensive care unit physicians (intensivists, 48%); only 14% of departments expect their pediatric radiologists to supervise imaging sedation. Ninety-six percent of departments use child life specialists for patient preparation. Seventy percent of departments have preparatory resources available on a website, including simulation videos (26%) and audio clips (17%). Nearly half (48%) of the departments have a mock scanner to aid in patient preparation. Imaging sedation/anesthesia is most often scheduled at the request of ordering clinicians (65%), while 57% of departments allow schedulers to place patients into imaging sedation/anesthesia slots based on specified criteria.

Imaging sedation/anesthesia practice patterns vary among pediatric radiology departments, and understanding current approaches can help with standardization and practice improvement.