MRI Safety Education
While Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a generally accepted safe technique, it comes with a host of safety issues which always require precaution. Therefore, MRI Safety Education is essential for healthcare professionals working in the MRI environment or those that refer patients for MRI scans. This will greatly help reduce the risk of injuries from failed safety procedures, and also continuously improve the safety and accessibility of MRI exams.
Well, MRI safety can be divided into the following 3 aspects:
1. MRI safety on the Main Magnetic Field
A typical magnet of an MRI scanner has a powerful main magnetic field, which is about 30, 000 times stronger than the earth’s magnetic field. Unfortunately, with such
…show more content…
Also, smaller objects like hearing aids, watches, bobby pins, zippers, underwires, hairpins, and jewelry that have metallic threads or fasteners are known to be pulled off the patients carrying them. So, it is vital that they are removed before the MRI exam.
There are other MR-Unsafe devices such as the many pacemakers, aneurysm clips, and cochlear implants. Several deaths have been reported in cases where patients with aneurysm clips and pacemakers have undergone the MRI scans without taking the right precautions. What usually happens is that when these objects interact with the forces produced by the magnetic fields, they bring about heating or torque.
If a patient has a bullet, shrapnel or any other metallic shell fragment in their body, there is a risk of these objects changing positions and possibly causing harm to the most vital organs during an MRI scan. In some cases, the objects may distort the MR images or cause signal
…show more content…
So, it is important for MRI healthcare practitioners to find out the exact location of the IUD before and after the scan.
2. MRI Safety on Varying Magnetic Fields (Gradient fields)
The Varying Magnet Fields play an essential role in obtaining MR Images. When the magnetic field is changed, electrical currents in the conductors are induced. This means that patients with metal foreign bodies or surgical implants face a potential risk of electrical currents being induced in the metals, leading to heating. However, this doesn’t always occur to every patient. For example, some patients with hip prosthesis can be scanned without experiencing any harm.
Please note that, changing the magnetic fields more rapidly may result in nerve stimulation, which can also affect the motor nerves — resulting in muscle contraction and magnetophosphenes. Magnetophosphenes basically causes current within the retina, resulting in the illusion of light.
3. MRI Safety — Radiofrequency (RF) Power
My interest in MRI started when I first read the book “MRI, The Basics” written by the author Ray Hashemi. By the time I successfully finished my MRI clinical placement in Tehran University of Medical Sciences, I knew for sure that MRI would be the field I would be choosing to take on. What attracts me most about MRI is how beautifully scientist could create a technology that can take advantage of the magnetic moments of human body for imaging it without any harms of ionizing radiation. Although there are drawbacks to MRI, combining it with other modalities would be a more effective approach to an accurate diagnosis.
The MRI, on the other hand is less expensive and much safer (as it doesn’t expose the patient to potentially harmful radioactive chemicals). The MRI or magnetic resonance imaging device, as an safer alternative, applies a powerful magnetic field around the head of the patient.
Next, we will discuss the problems identified in the case study. The first problem is design deficiency especially in the MRI room and on the oxygen tank. As explained previously, there is poor communication in the MRI room due to the absence of microphone to inform the technologist in the console room about the existing problem. The oxygen tank meanwhile did not have a proper indication panel that informs the state of the oxygen level in the tank. Design deficiency is a major problem because in a state of inadequacy, needed materials for the safety and optimal environment cannot be
Telesurgery owes its origins to the atomic energy industry's need in the 1950s to handle dangerous and hazardous materials in a safe manner....
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered as one of the pioneers in medical imaging for diagnosis of pathologies involving soft tissues and internal structures. MRI provides good contrast resolution between different soft tissues of the body especially in brain, muscles, heart etc compared to other medical imaging modalities like computed tomograpgy (CT) and conventional radiography which utilizes x-rays for imaging. The other important aspect of MRI versus other imaging modalities like CT and conventional radiography is that MRI uses no ionizing radiation like x-rays for imaging, instead it uses a strong magnetic field to align the magnetization of some atoms within the body , then uses radiofrequency pulses to systematically alter the alignment of this magnetization. This process causes the nuclei of certain atoms to produce a magnetic field which can be detected by the scanner, and all this information is used to reconstruct an MR image of the scanned area of the body. The initial experiments by Sir Otto Stern in the year 1922 stated that physically the magnetic resonance ima...
In the radiology profession first you must write the patient’s file. This includes information about insurance, medical history, what the required x-ray is for and where it is going to be taken on the body. Writing in this way is similar to writing a small research paper. You must do research on the patients and there history and what insurance they have. Writing the report is important because the information must be accurate so the patient can be helped as much as possible. If the information about medical history is incorrect it can cause a huge problem for the patient. For example, if the patient is claustrophobic they would need to get an open room x-ray where the patient isn’t in an enclosed tube so they don’t have a panic attack and potentially injure themselves and others. It is very important to make sure the report has the correct area of where the x-ray needs to be taken. Having the wrong part of the body x-...
All in all, MRI is a great imaging modality to properly diagnose a patient. MRI has many advantages and does not use any type of radiation. Even though MRI has been around for about a century it has gained a lot of advancement in the image quality. MRI allows a wide variety of anatomy to be imaged such as soft tissue, spine work, and organs. Like any imaging modality MRI does have a couple of disadvantages, but the advantages out way the risks. MRI will continue to improve and will be one of the best imaging modalities in the medical field.
When taking a radiograph there are some precautions that can be taken to reduce some of the radiation that can be exposed to a patient, what would be used on all patients is call a lead apron and thyroid collar, these aprons are used to protect the patients that may be a bit more radiosensitive and also may give the patient a little of reassurance that they will be protected. “Radiosensitivity is the relative susceptibility of cells, tissues, organs, organisms, or other substances to the injurious action of radiation.”
...her medical devices that contain iron. Metal parts in the eyes can damage the retina.” There is truly no risk involved because even before a doctor puts patients inside the machine they test patients to make sure that they do not have anything inside of them that may possible hurt them.
Marshall, G. W and S. Keene. “Radiation Safety in the Modern Radiology Department: A Growing Concern.” The Internet Journal of Radiology 5.2 2007: N. pag. 24 Apr. 2011 .
The MRI works by using hydrogen atoms’ magnetic properties within the human body to produce high quality images. These protons of the hydrogen atoms can be look upon as bar magnets, in normal situations, they will flow inside...
MRI is a procedure, in wide use since the 80s, to see the anatomy of the internal organs of the body. It is based on the phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), first described in landmark papers over fifty years ago (Rabi et al. 1938; Rabi, Millman, and Kusch 1939; Purcell et al. 1945; Bloch, Hansen, and Packard 1946) (4 ). . The MRI is a valuable diagnostic and research tool with also practical applications for surgical planning and conquering diseases. This imaging procedure is painless and non-invasive although sometimes discomforting as the patient lies down in a body tube that surrounds them. For many years, closed MRI units have been the standard in helping physicians make a diagnosis. These closed MRI units featured a long tube that the patient would be placed inside during their procedure. This was often uncomfortable for many patients due to the "closed in" feeling and was especially stressful for patients who suffer from claustrophobia. The newest generation of MRI units is now open on all four sides which completely alleviates the "closed in" feeling, while still providing the physician with the most accurate information possible to aid in diagnosis (2).. A patient does not see or feel anything. A faint knocking sound may be heard as the machine processes information. Patients may choose to listen to music -- even having the option of bringing their own CDs to listen to. Most MRI procedures take less than an hour. MRI technology is based on three things: magnetism, radiofrequency and computers. The magnetic resonance machine, is a big and strong magnet. When the body is inside, every proton of the body is oriented in the same way (for instance, with the positive pole up). Water ...
In conclusion, with all the facts being said, working with MRI machines may seem very challenging and very scary. Without the proper handling and correct safety precautions taken, several risk factors may be presented to the technologist and patients. It is vital that an MRI technologist be highly trained and educated in order to alleviate possible danger to patients and other personnels. MRI machines are highly used all over the world in order to diagnose and treat a good majority of the population's illness and diseases. They are capable of producing immensely detailed images that are unmatched to any other imaging modality. Though it is important to remember, the bigger the machine, the greater the risks and responsibilities both the patient and the technologist will be presented with.
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non invasive technique for studing neuronal activity in the brain. Unlike electrophysiological methods that depend on volume currents, MEG depends on the primary current (2, 8).
The Earth’s magnetic field is a major component to exploring the earth. The north and the south poles have always been a guide for travelers. Using compasses, the direction of the north pole and the south pole has always been provided by the magnetic force of the magnetic field. What many people do not know though is the earth’s magnetic field provides way more than that. The magnetic field, also known as the magnetosphere, protects us from all kinds of harmful substances. Some of these substances include solar wind and harmful radiation from the sun. The magnetosphere also protects the atmosphere, which protects us.