11 Year old MRI/MRA

[Doobydoo]

Hi. Just wondered if anyone has a child who has had mri/mra. Ds11 has an appt for this next weds.Appt came through today. He has Tinnitus. Saw a consultant in Dec...however where we live if over 5 child seen by Adult Team...I think they are ? Pulsatile but did not feel the consultation went that well.....for various reasons. Ds concerned as he thinks he will not be able to go through with it even though he wants to. I was thinking about making a self referral to a hospital an hour away that deals with Paediatric cases as I think they may be better placed to understand an 11 year olds answers and also carry out other,less invasive,procedures such as listening to heart and asking ds if tinnitus ebbs and flows etc which they did not do at appt. Any advice gratefully received. If appt at Paeds place suggested mri/ mra after talking with ds etc then may need to think about it under sedation. Thank you

Bump

Not sure if this helps but my son had an mri at 11 on his knee. He was incredibly nervous but I stayed with him the whole time holding his hand and the radiographer put his favourite music in his headphones while he has it done.

Some sedation in any case that's the way to go. Get in touch with hospital and find out what's avaiable beforehand, certainly needs it as otherwise might not be able to go through or need to be retaken if he moves. You can still stay with him if he wishes. If advised I would have it done, it's not as bad as feared, good luck!

Ds had a brain MRI just before his 11th birthday.

He took in a CD to listen to over the headphones. I could stand at the bottom of the machine where he could just see me. They don't do sedation generally for that age-ds is the wriggliest child ever, but he stayed absolutely still throughout.
It is quite noisy when it's working, but other than that it wasn't hard at all.

Thank you for replies. I am just concerned that it is an mra as well and ds ,whilst, he wants to do it prob won't. I think i am going to refer to a paeds facility do they can talk to him and carry out less invasive tests. Then if they think pulsatile will rethink..would prob need sedation. Thanks again.

Also I do hope your children are ok?

Is the MRA with contrast ie injection during scan? If so, that might be harder to deal with. If it is ‘just’ being in the scanner then your DS might surprise you with how he copes. You could always try at your local hospital and if it doesn’t work get a paeds referral? I doubt you’d be able to self refer and I know that waiting times for MRs at children’s hospitals can be long.
My DD’s neurosurgeon says that most children can manage head MR from about age 6. For reasons I don’t understand, sedative is not an option in this age range. Play therapy at children’s hospitals is fantastic if needed eg visits to see the scanner and practise etc. My DD unfortunately has to have a GA for head MRI/As but she is very unusual in needing this. She can manage a lower body scan in the adult department of local hospital- so really you can never know until you try. All the best with it

Perhaps your son just needs a tranquilliser from the GP as he's obviously anxious about it . I don't think the MRA is much different from the MRI with contrast, it might just last that little while longer.

Hi again. I think the mra is during the scan. It says mri and mra. Ds does have anxiety. The place for paeds does say self referral an option. I just want them to carry out less invasive options first. Where we are a child is seen by adult team over the age of 5. And I would like people trained to work with children to speak to him etc. I trained and worked as paediatric nurse and think it is important we try this. Thank you so much for your replies.Choc18I think you are right it is the mra that has made it worse for him! I hope your DD is ok? Its very difficult parenting at times!

My now 8 year old has had 7 MRIs and 1 MRA. Her first two she was pretty hysterical actually going into the scanner, but it’s par for the course now. Our hospital they let them watch DVDs. Younger ones tend to be sedated but not really over 6. The MRA she had a cannula put in about an hour before, a set of images done then the contrast inserted and more images done. It was about half an hour all in if I recall.

This is a good wee video to prepare him www.facebook.com/wwcih/videos/1491975074234936/

The MRA is not drastically different - it’s only injection of contrast to highlight blood vessels and not remotely invasive apart from the cannula. In our situation we had to go to a different (but still children’s) hospital as the scanners at Edinburgh aren’t powerful enough for MRA scanning. That’s possibly why it has to be the adult hospital for your son?

Dobydoo if you are a paediatric nurse then you are better qualified than us to make the right decision. Do try the self referral. Hope it all will be OK.

Thanks Horses and Oldmum and everyone! I did show him a video....will be ringing and,hopefully, get referral today.