Challenge in Pediatric MRI
The pediatric MRI exam experience is often stressful for patients and families. MRIs on children often require sedation for some children to lie still. Sedation, however, poses risks. Sedation can produce significant side effects, requires more time, cost, and departmental resources, and increases stress on families already dealing with the anxiety of the MRI. When facilities work to improve the MRI experience, this can result in an increase in patient comfort, decrease in patient anxiety, and less stress for families.
Improving the Pediatric MRI experience for Military Families
Siemens MRI Heroes Kit provides creative education for families and kids so they can be more comfortable during an MRI exam. The kit also empowers children so they can be imaged with less anxiety. With the MRI Heroes Kit, the children of service men and women can be superheroes just like their moms and dads.
The Superhero MRI program Kit
Developed in collaboration with Marvel Comics and Weill Cornell Imaging at NewYork-Presbyterian in New York City, the MRI Heroes Kit can help children understand what an MRI is, including what it looks like, what it sounds like, and what it does. With the tools and information provided in the kit children and parents have the information and education needed to have a better MRI exam experience. The MRI Heroes Kit includes copies of custom solution comic books, toy size model of a Siemens scanner, an educational DVD, capes, and Captain America and Iron man plush dolls.
The MRIamahero! program is provided by Siemens in collaboration with Weill Cornell Imaging at NewYork-Presbyterian and Marvel Custom Solutions.
1MR scanning has not been established as safe for imaging fetuses and infants less than two years of age. The responsible physician must evaluate the benefits of the MR examination compared to those of other imaging procedures.
2Superhero cape should not be worn while patient is being imaged.
Further Information
MRI Heroes Kit: Information for Healthcare Providers
Help the little heroes of our big heroes conquer MRIs
Malviya S, Voepel-Lewis T, Prochaska G, Tait A . Prolonged Recovery and Delayed Side Effects of Sedation for Diagnostic Imaging Studies in Children. Pediatrics. 2000 Mar [cited 2014 October].
Vanderby S, Babyn P, Carter M, Jewell S, McKeever P. Effect of Anesthesia and Sedation on Pediatric MR Imaging Patient Flow. Radiology. 2010 July;256(1):229-237.
