# Should the Radiologist Always Request a Blood Test Before an Emergency CT Scan in Children

## TL;DR

The paper questions if blood tests should always be done before CT scans in children to check kidney function.

## Contribution

It highlights the lack of pediatric-specific guidelines for contrast-enhanced CT scans and calls for further research.

## Key findings

- Renal failure is common in children at emergency departments.
- Current guidelines for contrast use in pediatric CT scans are unclear.
- More research is needed to determine best practices for contrast use in children.

## Abstract

Renal failure is relatively common in children presenting to the emergency department, suggesting that the assumption of normal renal function is not always valid. Although some computed tomography (CT) scans necessitate the use of intravenous contrast, one should probably consider whether a blood test is necessary to assess the patient’s renal function and possibly consider other imaging modalities before proceeding. With no pediatric-specific guidelines and no validated pediatric prevention strategies, further research is needed to establish clear recommendations for contrast-enhanced exams in stable and unstable pediatric patients with unknown renal function.