Preparing children for day case nuclear medicine procedures.
OBJECTIVE
To audit standards developed for children undergoing nuclear medicine procedures involving day case attendance on the renal unit.


METHODS
A prospective audit was undertaken of 210 children (113 males) undergoing day case nuclear medicine procedures in a teaching hospital department catering for adult and paediatric patients. An audit sheet was completed by both ward and nuclear medicine staff at the time of the procedure over an 18-month period.


RESULTS
The majority of families were given relevant information about the procedures and adequate notice before the scan date. Most patients were offered surface analgesia for the venepuncture and play preparation before the procedure. Fifty-eight per cent of patients were successfully cannulated at the first attempt and 88% after three attempts. Only 4% of children were sedated. The median delay between the scheduled and actual scan time was 15 min, with 71% of children being scanned within the standard of a 0-20-min delay. Most delays were due to logistic problems within the department (43%). Cannulation problems (35%) and patient-related factors (22%) accounted for further delays.


CONCLUSIONS
The audit of these locally agreed standards has resulted in changes in practice, including nurse training for cannulation and better scheduling within the nuclear medicine department. We believe that play preparation is an essential component for all potentially painful procedures, with few patients requiring sedation. The standards could be used for comparative audits between units.
Awogbemi
Tolulope
T
Children & Young People's Kidney Unit, Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK.
Watson
Alan R
AR
Hiley
Debbie
D
Clarke
Lynn
L
D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D002404:Catheterization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009683:Nuclear Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009684:Nuclear Medicine Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology