Using 'magic' to calm pediatric patients during imaging exams

One of the tricks he demonstrated is using a simple magic coloring book, a tool commonly used by children's magicians. Swicklik approaches children with the coloring book, inviting them to draw pictures, and with a simple flip, the drawings appear magically. This not only empowers the child but also creates a non-threatening and positive interaction with the medical staff.

Swicklik also referred to the CT scanner as a "toy-making machine," and he used small lights to perform an illusion suggesting that the lights on the machine could be taken off and splattered with. He emphasized the importance of leaving pediatric patients with a positive memory, especially those who are repeat visitors due to congenital heart issues or cancer.

During his presentation at SCCT, Swicklik engaged the technologists with lively tricks like making Kleenex roses, encouraging them to bring a touch of magic into their own facilities. He highlighted the tissue rose as a powerful gesture, offering comfort and distraction during moments of waiting or emotional distress. He said tissue boxes can be found in every room in a hospital, so it is something easily accessible, and making a rose can help a patient through a difficult time.

"The rose is a great way of doing something for that patient that leaves 'em with that positive memory. Or if they've just heard bad news, or they're so afraid that they're going to hear bad news, they start to cry. They ask for a tissue, I give a tissue, and then I take another tissue. And without even saying a word, I just start rolling around my fingers, twisting it into a rose. And no words have to be said, but they see this happening. And when I hand that to them, just in words, can't explain how powerful that is for a patient, again, it brings it to a whole other level of care, better care," Swicklik said. 

Reducing pediatric sedation using magic tricks

Pediatric patients often have to be sedated for CT or MRI exams to prevent them from moving around due to anxiety. Swicklik said this technique of using magic to change the mood in the imaging suite might help reduce the need for sedation.

"By introducing the room in such a way that is fun and interesting, you're taking that scariness of the machine and turning it into something enjoyable. The likelihood of needing sedation can absolutely be reduced with proper patient management," he explained.

Swicklik's technique has been able to help overcome anxiety for repeat imaging of pediatric patients to a point where kids and parents have asked for him specifically to be their technologist.

"I've had people request me as a technologist to do magic tricks for kids because the kids want to see it again, I've never had a child before doing magic in the medical setting asking me to scan them again because I did just the normal scanning techniques. So by providing something a little bit different makes a world of a difference, especially in just the memory of that experience for the child," Swicklik added.