Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40721912›Full record

ArticleNeurocritical care2026

Feasibility and Clinical Utility of Low-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Critically Ill Children: An Experience from Pakistan.

Kiran Hilal, Qalab Abbas, Aniqa Abdul Rasool, Sidra Khan, Shahiryar Khan, Haider Ali, Kumail Khandwala, Khan Iraj, Sana Saeed, Akber Madhwani and 2 more

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Article in Neurocritical care, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Kiran Hilal *Department of Radiology, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Qalab Abbas *Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. qalab.abbas@aku.edu.ORCID 0000-0003-4378-5197
Aniqa Abdul RasoolDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Sidra KhanDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Shahiryar KhanDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Haider AliDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Kumail KhandwalaDepartment of Radiology, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Khan IrajDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Sana SaeedDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Akber MadhwaniDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Imran NisarDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Fyezah JehanDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLow-field portable magnetic resonance imaging (pMRI) systems have been approved for clinical use, but their feasibility, efficacy, and most appropriate clinical application in children are unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of pMRI in detecting acute brain injury (ABI) in critically ill children compared to conventional MRI (cMRI) and or computed tomography (CT).

methodsThis prospective diagnostic accuracy study included children (1 month to < 18 years) admitted between May 2021 and June 2022 who underwent pMRI scans within a 24-h window of standard neuroimaging (CT or cMRI). pMRI images were assessed for quality of images and interpreted for findings by two independent pediatric radiologists blinded to the findings of the standard imaging modalities. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed using sensitivity, specificity, and agreement statistics.

resultspMRI scans were successfully completed in 83% of the cases (73 of 88 patients) with a median scan time of 48 min (interquartile range 43-54 min), with no patient- or machine-related adverse event. Neuroimaging indications were seizures in 38 (52.1%), unexplained encephalopathy in 29 (39.7%), and focal neurologic deficits in 19 (26%) patients. Radiological findings of pMRI included edema in 28 (38.4%), hydrocephalus in 12 (16.4%), infarction in 13 (17.8%), midline shift in 12 (16.4%), and intraparenchymal hemorrhage in 7 (9.6%). The pMRI demonstrated good agreement with cMRI and CT scans for detecting edema (87% agreement, κ = 0.7), hydrocephalus (94% agreement, κ = 0.8) and intraparenchymal hemorrhage (87% agreement, κ = 0.6). Compared to cMRI, pMRI showed 72% agreement (κ = 0.41, P = 0.0002), with 98% specificity and 73% sensitivity for hydrocephalus. Overall agreement between the two observers for pMRI was 90% (κ = 0.81, P < 0.001). Image quality was adequate for T1-weighted (n = 58, 79.5%), T2-weighted (n = 61, 83.6%), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) (n = 49, 67.1%), and apparent diffusion coefficient (n = 48, 65.8%) sequences. The highest number of uninterpretable images were for the DWI sequence (n = 9, 12.3%).

conclusionspMRI is a safe and feasible bedside imaging modality that shows promising results in diagnosing ABI in children.

Indexed as

Brain InjuriesMagnetic Resonance ImagingNeuroimagingAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolCritical IllnessFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMalePakistanProspective StudiesSensitivity and SpecificityAcute brain injuryCritically illIntensive care unitMagnetic resonance imagingPediatricPortable magnetic resonance imaging

Identifiers

PMID40721912

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.