Australian student radiographers' experiences and perspectives in general paediatric medical imaging examinations

Safety and Efficacy of Intranasal Ketamine for Minor Pediatric Procedures: A Systemic Literature Review

Compared to intravenous anesthetics, intranasal medication for sedation is a less invasive approach. Intranasal ketamine (IK) is a widely used medication for procedural sedation. Hence, a systematic review was conducted with the aim of evaluating the safety and efficacy of IK among pediatric patients used for procedural sedation. For this purpose, a literature search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, and MEDLINE. A total of 247 search results appeared after running the developed query and eight articles passed through the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in the study. Most of the studies used 4 to 7 mg/kg dose of IK for pediatric patients. It was found that there was a moderate correlation between the age and dose of IK. Similarly, the dose of IK also had a direct and moderate correlation with the onset of sedation. Regarding the reported side effects, most of the studies reported nausea and vomiting as side effects of IK. Hence, it could be concluded from the study findings that effective sedation can be achieved by using 4 to 7 mg/kg dose of IK. The reported side effects of IK were minor while parental satisfaction with the drug was very high. Therefore, it can be concluded that the use of IK for procedural sedation among pediatric patients is safe and effective.

Radiographers' perceptions on the quality of managing general radiographic paediatric examinations through the use of a reflective tool

INTRODUCTION

Paediatric patients are a vulnerable population that require additional care by healthcare professionals. Quality managing these examinations ensures that effective and quality care is provided to individual patients, whilst encouraging consistency within the medical imaging department. This study explored radiographers' perspectives on quality management strategies of general radiographic paediatric examinations using a paediatric imaging reflective checklist.

METHODS

A quantitative descriptive research design with qualitative questions was used through a purposive sampling method from both public and private Australian diagnostic imaging qualified radiographers who had experience in paediatric imaging examinations. The paediatric imaging service reflective tool consisted of 65 items in total. Data analysis entailed Microsoft Excel version 16.16.6 and Jamovi version 2.3.21 for the closed-ended questions and for the open-ended responses a thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The participation rate was 13.2% and the most significant findings were: lead shielding was still being used at their organisation, despite recent recommendations to suspend its use; access to paediatric patient related information resources is limited; there was no involvement of families and communities regarding policy development or quality improvement measures as advocated in literature; and there was a need for enhanced specialised paediatric education, training and protocols.

CONCLUSION

Using the paediatric patient-centred imaging reflective checklist, radiographers had an opportunity to identify quality improvement indicators as well as issues that could further enhance best practice principles. Further studies could inform on the validity of this reflective tool.