Building a pediatric cardiac catheterization laboratory and conference room: design considerations and filmless imaging

Building or upgrading a dedicated pediatric cardiac catheterization laboratory is an expensive and elaborate undertaking complicated by long-standing biases based on adult laboratory requirements. Optimal design for the needs of pediatric cardiologists and their patients has never been published. This communication discusses these design issues in the context of pediatric needs and offers potential solutions. It also attempts to educate the reader on the basics of digital imaging and its advantages over cine film technology; and it explains how to achieve optimal filmless data acquisition and subsequent display for pediatric cardiac management.