Operating instructions

546
Children
5.Sedation: Although the advent of the multislice CT
scanner has enabled the user to scan through an area
of interest much faster than ever, sometimes, patient
motion can still lead to severe motion artifacts seen on
the resultant images. This becomes a factor especially
with infants and younger children who are unable to
hold still for the exam. Sedating this population may
be a viable option for your institution. Of course,
appropriate protocols need to be established at your
specific institution. For instance, the drug of choice for
specific ages/weights of these patients (taking into
consideration the total time of the exam), the form of
administration, patient preps, adequate monitoring of
the patient (pre-scan, during the exam and post-scan)
etc. should all be taken into consideration.
The proper personnel and equipment must also be
readily available in the event of a problem.
6.Oral and rectal contrast administration: Depending
on the reason for the exam/status of the patient, oral
contrast may or may not be given to these patients.