More children undergoing MRI without anesthesia.

At the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital (WKZ), there is a new MRI machine—not a real one, but a practice MRI. What is a practice MRI, and how will this device help patients at WKZ? The official opening took place on Monday, July 15, 2024.

Lying completely still for three to six minutes in the cramped, small, impressive, and noisy space of the MRI scanner is difficult for most children under eight years old. And they often need to do this multiple times, with each MRI scan lasting at least 30 minutes. That’s why young children often require anesthesia when undergoing an MRI. Rutger Jan Nievelstein, pediatric radiologist at WKZ, explains: “If children move during an MRI scan, the images are often blurry, making it difficult for us radiologists to interpret them. This frequently results in the need to repeat the MRI scan. We aim to reduce anesthesia use in children. Children with chronic illnesses often require multiple MRI scans, and frequent or excessive anesthesia is ultimately not good for them. The goal is therefore to minimize anesthesia use unless medically necessary. With the practice MRI, children from around four years old can get used to a real MRI scan without anesthesia. This is ultimately better for the child’s health.”

Two scans instead of one in the same amount of time

The arrival of the practice MRI contributes to improved quality of pediatric care. Olga Braams, health psychologist in training to become a clinical psychologist at WKZ, says: “By preparing children with the practice MRI before they go into the real MRI scanner without anesthesia, the child experiences less stress and anxiety. This also shortens waiting lists and speeds up MRI results and any follow-up treatments. Medical pedagogical caregivers prepare children using information and materials such as an MRI construction kit.” Rutger Jan adds: “Normally, an MRI scan under anesthesia takes about an hour, including preparation and recovery. By training children in advance, technicians can get them on the MRI table faster. Instructions are shorter. Reducing anesthesia use also leads to shorter waiting lists and less anesthesia consumption, enabling two MRI scans instead of one to be done in the same amount of time. It is more efficient.”

A giant scanner that fits through the door

But getting a practice MRI machine isn’t so simple. It’s a colossal device, no longer in real use, and it has to fit through a door. That proved quite a challenge. Olga explains: “The first time we tried to get one, it didn’t work because the scanner wouldn’t fit through the door. Eventually, the Youth Study researchers offered us a prototype MRI scanner.”

Now, the practice MRI stands in the Pediatric Radiology department at WKZ. A gigantic scanner without any technology inside, but with highly realistic sound simulations. “It’s the best and most realistic thing there is. We had already been gratefully using a practice MRI at the Princess Máxima Center, but there we had to work with fixed time slots, which made our work inflexible. We are very happy with this one. Other groups also want to start using it, both clinically and for research—for example, to practice tasks and images for functional MRI studies,” says Olga.

Source: UMC Utrecht, WKZ