Pediatric nuclear medicine: a practical approach.

This paper is devoted to the practical aspects of pediatric nuclear medicine, particularly the controversy about drug sedation. The authors conclude that drug sedation should be exceptionally used. There is an alternative way, consisting in an adequate approach of the patient: good information to the parents and the child; taking care of the child's environment, starting from the first contacts in the waiting room; specific education of technologists: this includes injections and blood sampling, but also proper handling of the child during the procedure and adequate psychological attitudes toward child and parents. Taking these factors into account, it is exceptional that a test has to be postponed because of the lack of collaboration of the patient; good quality images, using the recommended paediatric amounts of radioactivity can be achieved even for procedures of prolonged duration.