Radiology

Your Child's Safety is our No. 1 Priority

Why is this important? Pediatric radiologists are specially trained to understand the unique needs of children, parents and pediatricians in the diagnostic process.

Along with a degree from a medical school, pediatric radiologists have a year or more of clinical medicine training, four years of training in diagnostic radiology, and one or more years of training in the diagnosis of infants, children and adolescents using imaging equipment.

That extra training makes them uniquely qualified to read pediatric diagnostic images like X-rays, CT scans and MRIs. And all of our equipment, procedures, and staff members are oriented to children's special needs.

Radiology/Imaging Services

The following are the most common procedures that we offer.

• Arthrogram
• Barium Enema
• Bone Density
• CT Scan
• Diagnostic X-ray   
• Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP)
• MRI Scan
• Nuclear Medicine
• Spinal Tap or Lumbar Puncture   
• Ultrasound 
• Urodynamics 
• UGI (Upper Gastrointestinal) 
• VCUG (Voiding Cystourethrogram)
• Video Swallow Study 
  
  

Locations and Hours

To schedule an appointment for any location, call (757) 668-7251 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. When your child’s appointment is scheduled, any special preparation or instructions for the procedure will be provided at that time. For emergencies, all imaging procedures are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Physician's Order for Diagnostic Procedures

All diagnostic/imaging radiology procedures require a physician's order. Insurance companies may further require pre-approval of the procedure. In these cases, the ordering physician's office will obtain an authorization from the insurance company before scheduling the procedure.

More About Radiology Services at CHKD

PET Imaging Now Available

A new diagnostic imaging tool, the positron emission tomography (PET) scanner, is now available at CHKD’s main hospital. This tool, combined with computer tomography (CT), provides our patients more precise, higher quality imaging, allowing our medical teams to develop more effective treatment plans. PET/CT is considered the standard of care for the diagnosis, staging, and post-treatment response for an increasing number of pediatric cancers.

Having PET scans available in the main hospital will prevent our pediatric patients from having to be transported to other locations for this test, which often requires sedation. This prevents delays in treatment, especially for patients who are too ill to be transported under sedation, as well as saving the time and expense of a medical transport.

Studies have shown that PET/CT scans expose children to lower radiation doses than separate PET and CT scans. This is particularly important for cancer patients who require an average of three to four PET/CT scans over the course of their treatment. Additionally, PET/CT scans are an important tool in pediatric neuroimaging, neurology, and neurosurgery. They often play a vital role in detecting and evaluating childhood epilepsy and pediatric brain tumors.

Patient Shields No Longer Needed for X-rays

Over the past several decades, experts have made great strides in reducing the amount of radiation used in X-rays. In fact, the level of radiation used in modern X-rays is so low, the use of lead shields for patients during X-ray, CT, and fluoroscopic procedures is no longer recommended.

Research now shows that these shields may result in more, rather than less, exposure to radiation. Because the shields can shift subtly, especially during pediatric exams, they may hide anatomy that the doctor needs to see. This can result in the need for additional X-rays. Also, modern imaging machines are designed to increase radiation automatically if they detect objects that block X-rays from getting through.

For these reasons, CHKD is no longer shielding patients with lead during X-ray, CT, and fluoroscopic procedures. This change has occurred at most children’s hospitals across the country, and is endorsed by the American College of Radiology, the Society for Pediatric Radiology, the Radiological Society of North America, and Image Gently Alliance, a coalition of healthcare organizations (including CHKD) dedicated to providing safe, high-quality pediatric imaging. Learn more from the America Association of Physicists.

EOS Imaging Technology

The EOS imaging system is a groundbreaking X-ray system that substantially reduces the amount of radiation received during a single imaging procedure. Providing detailed, high-quality skeletal images, the EOS imaging system has the unique ability to provide a three-dimensional, full-body image of a patient in a natural standing position with a single scan.

EOS imaging is primarily used to assess patients with spine, hip and leg disorders, such as scoliosis and leg-length discrepancies. Traditional X-rays are still the standard of care for injuries or conditions that can be evaluated with general radiography, such as broken bones and sports injuries.

CHKD offers EOS imaging at two locations in Hampton Roads, the CHKD Health Center at Oakbrooke in Chesapeake, and the CHKD Health and Surgery Center at Oyster Point in Newport News.