In pediatric imaging, anesthesia is commonly thought to be necessary for obtaining high-quality diagnostic imaging, but an innovative program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is challenging that idea. The Scan Without Anesthesia Program (SWAP) is a collaborative effort by clinicians, radiographic technologists, nurses and Child Life Specialists to prepare children for successful imaging without anesthesia.
Anesthesia use can come with risk, particularly in the pediatric population. Additionally, the use of anesthesia lengthens the imaging appointment, can increase costs and requires additional cross-department coordination. SWAP aims to address these challenges for UCSF pediatric patients
“It’s been a very successful program, and we get a lot of good feedback from families about it,” says Lauren Meyer, a Child Life Specialist at UCSF. “A lot of…
