Whole-Body Magnetic Resonance Tomography and Whole-Body Computed Tomography in Pediatric Polytrauma Diagnostics—A Retrospective Long-Term Two-Center Study
Marnie Raimann,
Johanna Ludwig,
Peter Heumann,
Ulrike Rechenberg,
Leonie Goelz,
Sven Mutze,
Vera Schellerer,
Axel Ekkernkamp,
Mustafa Sinan Bakir
Affiliations
Marnie Raimann
Center of Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery and Rehabilitative Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
Johanna Ludwig
Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, BG Klinikum Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin gGmbH, 12683 Berlin, Germany
Peter Heumann
Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, BG Klinikum Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin gGmbH, 12683 Berlin, Germany
Ulrike Rechenberg
Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, BG Klinikum Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin gGmbH, 12683 Berlin, Germany
Leonie Goelz
Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, BG Klinikum Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin gGmbH, 12683 Berlin, Germany
Sven Mutze
Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, BG Klinikum Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin gGmbH, 12683 Berlin, Germany
Vera Schellerer
Department of Paediatric Surgery, University Medicine Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
Axel Ekkernkamp
Center of Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery and Rehabilitative Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
Mustafa Sinan Bakir
Center of Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery and Rehabilitative Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
Although serious accidents remain the leading cause of pediatric mortality, protocols to orient diagnostic procedures towards a certain type of initial imaging are widely needed. Since 2007, we have performed whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WBMR) and whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) for diagnoses of severely injured children. We retrospectively reviewed 134 WBMR and 158 WBCT in patients younger than 16 years that were performed at two trauma centers between 2007 and 2018. A higher Injury Severity Score (ISS) was found in WBCT vs. WBMR (10.6 vs. 5.8; p = 0.001), but without any significant difference in mortality. The WBMR was significantly preferred at younger ages (9.6 vs. 12.8 years; p p p < 0.001). Correspondingly, 72.4% of the patients were first sedated in-hospital for MRIs. In conclusion, WBMR is an alternative and radiation-free imaging method for high-energy-traumatized children. Although the selected diagnostics seemed appropriate, limitations regarding longer duration or additional analgesic sedation are present, and further studies are needed.
