“Fast MRI” scans, which use quicker imaging techniques and don’t require sedation or ionizing radiation, can identify traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in young patients, according to a new study published in Pediatrics.
The authors explored data from more than 200 patients recruited from June 2015 to June 2018. All patients were six years old or younger and also underwent head CT scans.
Overall, fast MRI was successfully completed in 99% of patients. The median imaging time was 59 seconds for the CT scans and 365 seconds for fast MRI. TBI was identified by CT in 111 of the young patients. Fast MRI, meanwhile, identified TBI in 103 of those patients, good for a sensitivity of 92.8%.
“We found that fast MRI is a reasonable alternative to CT,” lead author Daniel Lindberg, MD, associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement. “Nearly all—99 percent—of fast MRIs were completed successfully, with accuracy that was similar to CT, while avoiding the harms of radiation exposure.”
CT did show better accuracy for spotting fractures and breaks to the skulls of patients, the authors noted, but fast MRI was superior when it came to capturing the space between the brain and the skull.
“We were fortunate to be using newer scanning equipment and highly experienced technicians and pediatric radiologists,” Lindberg said in the same statement. “While we believe our findings reveal a feasible alternative to CTs in pediatric specialty centers, further study is necessary to test the results in other settings.”
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.