Danielle Crump on Alternatives to Anesthesia for Pediatric Radiation Patients

Danielle Crump, BSN, RN, of Johns Hopkins Hospital, explains how to avoid administering anesthesia to pediatric patients undergoing radiation therapy.

Instead of anesthesia, Johns Hopkins Hospital has a Pediatric Training Program, which acclimates the patients and their families to the department. They train the child to stay still as well as familiarize them with the process, the tools, the machines. Understanding that the radiation does not cause pain—the patient will not be getting stuck or injected—helps to convince both patients and their parents to participate in this training. These preparatory steps help to make the patient more comfortable when the time for treatment does come.