Department of Radiology Resources

getting an xray presentation slide

This kid-friendly slideshow can help prepare your child for getting an X-ray. The information is also helpful for children with special needs.

For Parents and Caregivers

This resource will give you information about the procedure to drain excess infected fluid (pus) from your child’s body. You’ll learn about sedation, the possibility of a temporary drainage catheter, and your child can resume his normal activities.

This resource will give you information about the minimally invasive catheterization procedure needed to expand your child’s blood vessels. You’ll learn how angioplasty is performed, sedation, potential risks and what happens after the procedure.

This resource will help you understand the X-ray imaging test used whether your child’s blood vessels are narrowed, blocked, enlarged or malformed.

This resource will help you understand arthrogram, a procedure used to diagnose a problem or relieve pain in a joint, most commonly the shoulder, hip, knee, elbow or wrist.

This resource will help you understand the procedure used to stretch bile ducts that are too narrow. You’ll learn how biliary dilatation is performed, sedation, potential risks and what happens after the procedure.

Learn about your child’s biopsy, a common procedure in which a doctor uses a small needle to extract tissue samples or fluid. Biopsies are commonly performed in the bone, thyroid, soft tissues, kidney, spleen, liver and other organs.

This resource will help you understand the procedure used to drain fluid from the pleural space between the lung and chest wall, and what causes the fluid to build up in the first place.

This tool will help you understand a procedure used to help drain your child’s gallbladder if it becomes obstructed or infected. In a cholecystostomy, a drainage catheter is placed in the gallbladder to keep it from getting too swollen until the child is well enough for surgery.

This tool will help you understand the minimally invasive procedure where a doctor uses coils, glue, chemical agents or polyvinyl alcohol particles to close specific blood vessels in order to block blood flow from a specific area.

This resource will help you understand the procedure used to stretch or open portions of the esophagus that are too narrow You’ll learn how esophageal dilatation is performed, anesthesia used, potential risks and what happens after the procedure.

This tool will help you understand the intravenous line that is completely inside the body, that includes a port and a catheter, and is used for IV nutrition and fluids, as well as medication.

Learn about lung biopsy, a procedure where a doctor takes a small piece of tissue or fluid from the lung and sends it to the laboratory for analysis. The biopsy helps to determine if a lung lesion is due to an infection or immune disorder.

This resource will help you understand the procedures used to relieve a collection of lymph fluid in the chest or abdomen, which can lead to breathing difficulty. Lymphagraphy uses an X-ray to visualize the body’s lymphatic system and spotlight any trouble spots.

Learn how a cecostomy tube can be used to administer an enema quickly and completely evacuate the large intestines through the anus. Details include tube placement, sedation, procedure risks and follow-up care.

This resource will help you understand a percutaneous liver biopsy procedure in which a doctor uses a needle to extract small tissue samples that can be sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Learn about percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram, the procedure that takes an X-ray of the bile ducts. Doctors use the images to determine if the ducts are underdeveloped or blocked.

This resource will help you understand how a PICC line is inserted and how it can be used to draw blood or administer long-term intravenous antibiotics, nutrition or medication.

This resource will help you understand radiofrequency ablation, a procedure in which heat is used to treat certain kinds of lesions, such as benign bone tumors like osteoid osteoma.

This resource will help you understand sclerotherapy, a procedure where a doctor injects a liquid medication into a vascular or lymphatic malformation. The liquid causes inflammation and over time, shrinks the malformation.

This resource will help you understand why and when a short-term catheter may be placed in a vein in the neck or groin. Temporary central lines are most often used for dialysis or apheresis.

Learn about joint injections as a treatment for children with arthritis. High-dose steroid is injected directly into the joint, most commonly the temporomandibular joint in the jaw or the subtalar joint in the foot.

Learn about chemical and mechanical thrombolysis, procedures used to break up abnormal blood clots that restrict blood flow in veins and arteries.

Learn about your child’s transjugular liver biopsy, a procedure in which small pieces of liver tissue are extracted and sent to a laboratory for evaluation.


Preparing for Your Child's Procedure

getting an MRI

This child-friendly video cartoon can help prepare your child for getting an MRI. Learn about what an MRI machine looks like, the MRI noise, and how the MRI scan works.

MRI Scanner

An MRI mock scanner simulates the real MRI experience, including the noises the camera makes throughout the scan. It is a useful tool to see how your child will handle the MRI.

The sounds created by an MRI machine can be intimidating for some children as they do not know what to expect. Play these MRI sounds to help your child prepare for their MRI.


Videos


Websites

Image Gently is an initiative of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging that offers educational materials and resources for informed parents.