MR tech here. MR scanners could sure look better for kids. A few observations. If the kids parents are fine and not bothered by the scan (or act like they aren't bothered) the kid usually does fine. If the parents are begging for sedation from the moment they hit the front desk, it goes badly even with sedation (we don't do any GA where I work).
Claustrophobia is a funny thing and females seem to deal with it better than males. Females seem to tell us earlier in the piece and can then be coached though it. Males say nothing then freak out, and flat refuse to come back. I have worked at scanners in very poor areas and very wealthy area. The scanners in poor areas seem to have far fewer claustrophobic patients. The sicker people are, the less claustrophobia seems to stress them out. These observations may only apply in the areas (NZ) where I have worked.
I've been getting MRIs every four months for 9 years now. (I had a very rare type of cancer.) My admittedly anecdotal experience is that most places seem to be getting worse at administering them. I suspect they are being prescribed for diagnosis much more, and the techs are somewhat harried by the stricter schedules. GE's Adventure Series is certainly a good idea, but I think it's easy to forget how important it is for the techs to administer them well, and how an overworked problem may exist for them.
As for the noise (that other people were flippantly dismissing), it really can be jarring. Cover your ears with your hands, with your fingers pointed towards the back of your head at about at 45 degree upward angle. Then, repeatedly bang your head with your middle fingers while your ears are still covered. That's roughly the a quieter version of one of the more unsettling sounds.
I'm quite used to it -- to the point that I always ask the tech to tape my head in case I fall asleep and move -- but still. That sound is not just the rhythm backing a techno song; it's the sound of parts swirling around you with massive energy.
It maybe safe, but so are roller coasters. Yet, while you go on a roller coaster looking for a thrill, you enter an MRI machine with the very real fear that something could be very wrong with you. That's not going to make for a pleasant experience. And, it's not surprising that that underlying fear might be projected elsewhere.
I agree, I got a CT for something they could have stuck a camera or mirror in my mouth to see. They also billed me directly instead of my insurance. I can't help but think it had more to do with them making money than treating me.
I fully get the noise thing, and I find it hard to believe that anyone would do a scan without giving hearing protection. Possibly on old, low field magnets? At 3T it would exceed 100db no problem. In the control room I've measured 90+ db on my (highly calibrated) phone. It's loud and its negligent not to give hearing protection.
The issue is parents are the most scared they have ever been in their lives. They would rather take what ever their child has and die than have to see them go through the hell that they will be shown in the report, or find out something was missed 6 month prior. It might seem routine to others but I always go extremely stressed a week before any scan. First time parents will be praying that their child isn't going to die so they might be on edge.
hmmm. maybe it's not easy, but you need to switch your perspective. mri machines (at least) are awesome things that are there to help. i'm not saying this as some kind of outsider with no understanding - i spend a lot of time in them myself. and to me they have always been the magical robot monster that can help me. they see inside. they let the doctors understand. they're one of the good guys. really.
you're in a fight. you want to win. you don't hate the guy that's giving you the good data.
sorry if that doesn't help. i'm not trying to bash you. i'm just trying to show there's an alternative. i'm as scared as anyone when i open the envelope. but those machines have helped me a lot....
[also, as physics machines, they're pretty awesome. if you're an engineer or scientist and don't know how they work, read up on them. they have huge supercooled magnets that flip the nuclei of atoms. it's amazing stuff. despite the noise there's nothing moving - that's just the coils shifting as the fields / current change (and maybe the chug chug chug of a cooler / vacuum pump). you're basically lying inside a human sized speaker coil!]
I am not someone who generally suffers from claustrophobia, but as a tall person (6ft 5in) who is by no means fat, I can honestly say it was one of the worst things I've had to do. My shoulders are broad enough that it felt as if I was uncomfortably wedged within the machine, and that I was far enough inside the machine that should something go wrong it would be impossible for me to get out unassisted.
Perhaps it wasn't so much claustrophobia in my case, more my total dependence on someone else to get out. I am definitely not looking to go through that experience again any time soon.
I think there are definitely things that can be done to improve the experience.
Also worth noting: I do realise that these machines come in different sizes, but they are also expensive to purchase (replace), so I am not holding my breath for regular updates at every hospital when they can add another inch to the diameter of the chamber.
The sicker people are, the less claustrophobia seems to stress them out
Medical-tech-in-a-past-life here. I think it's more that the sicker people are, that both they have more experience with getting tests, and they're more interested in fixing the problem than feeding on the attention. Really sick people are tired of being sick - a test at a hospital is not a highlight of the day, but a drudge. It was rare, though not unknown, to see either a very sick person or a long-term sufferer make a fuss in my experience.
Someone who does make a fuss could very well be genuinely sick, but usually they hadn't really mentally accepted that fact yet.
