Reston, Va. - The Image Gently™ campaign has developed easily accessible online teaching materials and checklists to help interventional radiology providers use the lowest dose necessary to perform interventional procedures on children. Interventional physicians, medical physicists, and radiologic technologists are encouraged to visit the Image Gently Web site (www.imagegently.org) to review these important materials and factor the information into their clinical decision making.

There is no doubt that interventional radiology procedures improve and save lives. However, children are more sensitive to radiation received from imaging scans than adults, and cumulative radiation exposure to their smaller, developing bodies could, over time, have adverse effects. When interventional procedures are the correct treatment for disease or injury, providers are, where appropriate, urged to:

-Take time out: stop and child size the technique

-Step lightly on the fluoroscopy pedal

-Consider ultrasound or, when applicable, MRI guidance

"Interventional or image guided, minimally invasive surgeries are increasingly replacing more invasive techniques. This latest extension of the Image Gently campaign can give interventional providers real world, practical guidance regarding how they can help ensure that the radiation dose administered to the patients is as low as possible given the particular circumstances of each case," said Marilyn Goske, M.D., chair of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging, past Board Chair of the Society for Pediatric Radiology, and Silverman Chair for Radiology Education, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

New on the Image Gently Web site are:

-Downloadable slide presentation for use by providers to teach their staff methods to reduce dose and maintain quality. Radiologists are encouraged to give this talk locally

-Downloadable checklist of dose reduction steps the team can review for each patient

-Downloadable outline of dose reduction and quality maintenance steps to take in the department

-Patient brochure including answers for parents about IR procedures. Providers can use this as a guide to communicate concerns and benefits of interventional procedures to patients.

"Interventional techniques are increasingly being used to treat many different types of disease and injury. The fantastic results that these approaches provide, as with all medical techniques, also come with their own potential questions and concerns. We healthcare providers want to ensure that these lifesaving procedures are performed with the utmost care and safety in children. In addition, the materials housed on the Image Gently site can help interventionalists clearly explain the benefits and considerations associated with these techniques," said Manrita Sidhu, M.D., Pediatric and Interventional Radiologist, Seattle Radiologists, and Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, Seattle Children's Hospital, who is leading the interventional radiology component of the Image Gently campaign.

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