Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine
Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine provides a range of services to help diagnose, monitor, and treat children suffering from disease or injury. These include:
- X-ray e.g. fluoroscopy, radiography, angiography
- bone mineral densitometry (BMD)
- ultrasound (US)
- computed tomography (CT)
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (including mock and intra-operative)
- inpatient and outpatient services including biopsies, joint injections and procedures such as sclerotherapy
- nuclear medicine (NM)
- OPG (dental X-ray)
- access to Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning (PET CT and PET MRI)
- bone mineral density (DXA and pQCT)
- neonatal imaging.
Our services are available to all inpatients at the Queensland Children’s Hospital, as well as outpatients who have been referred.
A mock MRI service run by Occupational therapists is available to assess suitability and help acclimatise children aged 3 to 8 years to having an MRI who would usually need to have a general anaesthetic.
Who can access this service?
New patients
Referrals are accepted up to a child’s 16th birthday.
Existing patients with complex care needs
Referrals are accepted up to their 18th birthday (patients are usually transitioned to adult services by this time).
Catchment area
Specialist Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine services are available to children living in Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Routine Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine services are also available to children living within the Queensland Children’s Hospital catchment area.
Do I need a referral?
You will need a formal referral to access this service.
How do I get a referral?
Referrals are accepted from:
- general practitioners
- paediatric specialists.
Other referral information
Appointments
Please call the relevant phone number listed below as soon as you receive a letter to confirm attendance or to rebook as soon as possible. If you receive a recorded message please leave the patient’s name, date of birth and hospital identification number, and the appointment will be confirmed by our Booking Officer.
MRI
t: 07 3068 3070
Fluoroscopy/interventional/CT scan
t: 07 3068 3066
Ultrasound
t: 07 3068 3073
General Anaesthetic
t: 07 3068 3070
Non-General-Anaesthetic Imaging
Once a booking is made patients will receive a letter of appointment and an information leaflet about what to expect. This letter will outline the appointment time, place and any preparation required. It will also request that you confirm the appointment seven days prior by calling the specified number.
This letter will outline the arrival time, place and any preparation required. It will also request that you confirm the appointment seven days prior by calling the specified number.
General Anaesthetic Imaging
Once a booking is made patients will receive a letter of appointment and an information leaflet about what to expect. This letter will outline the arrival time, place and any preparation required. One week before the appointment a nurse will ring to confirm arrival and fasting times.
An SMS reminder is sent the day before all pre-booked appointments except GA MRI’s.
Information for health professionals
Referral instructions
Referrals can be made directly to the Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine clinic.
General referrals
Inpatients please submit Imaging request vie ieMR order entry.
Outpatient please fax imaging request form to 07 3068 3019 and ask the patient to make the appointment by calling the relevant phone number below.
MRI
t: 07 3068 3070
Interventional/CT scan
t: 07 3068 3066
Ultrasound
t: 07 3068 3073
General Anaesthetic
t: 07 3068 3070
Urgent referrals
During Business hours please contact the duty registrar via switch (07 3038 1111).
After-hours
Please contact the on-call service via the hospital switchboard.
t: 07 3068 1111
Scans are booked for the next available appointment unless urgent and direct contact is made with the radiologist. It may be a number of weeks before the next available appointment, particularly for MRI scans that require general anaesthesia.
Imaging that must be conducted within particular time intervals must have a date/time frame specified on the imaging request, or the appointment will be in the “next available” slot. If the request then becomes more urgent please contact the department.
Useful links
CT Scan patient information
MRI Scan patient information
Radiation and Medical Imaging patient information
Ultrasound scan patient information
This service is available at
Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine (1a)
Queensland Children’s Hospital
Level 1
501 Stanley Street
South Brisbane
QLD 4101
View map
Contact details
t: 07 3068 3100 | 07 3068 1111 (after hours via hospital switchboard)
Operating hours
Monday to Friday, 8am–5pm.
An after-hours X-ray services are also available at the Emergency Department (Level 1), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Resources