The foot series for paediatrics consists of a dorsoplantar (DP), medial oblique and a lateral projection. Depending on the child's age and the departmental protocol, the medial oblique view may or may not be performed.
On this page:
Indications
trauma with suspected fracture
suspected dislocation
foreign body detection
inability to weight-bear
Projections
Patient preparation
Patients should remove shoes and socks on the affected foot.
Gonadal shielding
The use of gonadal and fetal shielding has been deemed as non-beneficial to patients' health in current evidences 1-3 and may or may not be useful for paediatric extremity imaging. Placing gonadal shielding can increase the examination time and may cause the child more stress. However, shielding can also reduce the family's anxiety in relation to radiation dose. Therefore, the decision to use shielding will depend on departmental protocols and the radiographer's judgement.
Tips for paediatric foot radiography
The major difficulty in paediatric foot radiography relates to:
To overcome this, a variety of techniques can be used 4:
distract the patient with toys, games and/or conversation
using the swaddling technique; wrap the child in a blanket to promote comfort and sleep
Immobilisation techniques
Children will find it difficult to keep their foot still; particularly if the limb is injured. As the child will be supine, it is helpful to have the parent in the child's direct line of sight in order to keep the child calm.
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