According to the Mayo Clinic, “an estimated 75% of patients who have pacemakers will need an MRI during their life time.”(3) However, there are many risks for MRI scans on patients with pacemakers. What are the risks? And do the benefits outweigh the risks? I will explain to you what an MRI is and what they are used for. After I inform you on what are MRIs, I will explain the risks and benefits of the scans on pacemaker patients. Finally I will explain some ways to reduce the risks of the procedure for patients with pacemakers. MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance imaging. MRI is one of the most important imaging modalities, and is the best in displaying soft tissue contrast, is unobstructed by bone, recreates anatomic structures in three dimensional, …show more content…
Mechanically, as a result of the strong static magnetic field, objects containing
Iron, such as the pacemaker, are attracted by the scanner. Therefore, there is the possibility of movement of the implanted pacemaker.(8) The magnetic fields my also induce currents in the leads resulting in overseeing or underseeing high heart pacing and low or no heart pacing, even fatal arrhythmias. Lead heating is one of the major risks of MRIs on pacemaker patients. The energy in the lead-pacemaker system will be converted into heat at the lead tip, which results in edema and tissue damage. “ the presence of a (pacemaker) device may induce may induce image artifacts. This might have consequences for studying anatomy and especially cardiac function.”(8) . Some physicians recommend when doing an MRI scan on cardiac device patients, to do the scans either above the neck or below the waists to maintain safety It is important to discuss ways to reduce the risks of MRIs on patients with pacemakers, how urgently is an MRI needed and whether other imaging modalities are just as effective in diagnosis to avoid the risks associated with pacemaker. “Computed
Tomography (CT) is often recommended as an alternative imaging test.” (1)
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In conclusion, there are four major hazards that can go wrong during an MRI scan.
The mechanical risks involve the pacemaker or cardiac device loosing complete or partial function which could result in fatal un-monitored heart rhythms. The pacemaker could also be heated by the ferromagnetic field which is lead heating which results in heating nearby tissues and could scar those tissues. Some pacemakers could also be in the way of the anatomy of that image. Many patients can avoid many of the potential hazard by simply following protocol and switching their current pacemaker and pacemaker system with one that is pacemaker- compatible. I believe that the benefits outweigh the risks based on the information that I have given you. MRI scans are one of the most important imaging modalities. Being the number one imaging modality for diagnosis for the brain and the spinal cord, I would make sure that you could get the same diagnosis from CT or any other modality. Anyone who is not depended of their pacemaker device should go under the scan while safely placing their device on deactivation functions. However, for some who is completely dependent of their
What needs to be assessed is how these full body scans are produced. It is produced through radiation through computed tomography. And, is the amount of radiation that a patient is receiving necessary. Radiation exposure is harmful. According to the FDA website
All MRI examinations were performed with a 1.5-T MRI system (Achieva; Philips Medical Systems, Best, the Netherlands) using body coil (a phased-array coil).T1, T2 and fat suppressed T2-weighted imaging as well as diffusion weighted imaging were performed during the same MRI examination in all patients. Images will acquired with the patient is in supine position with head pointing to the magnet (head first supine; HFS). The body coil was securely tightened using straps to prevent respiratory artifacts. The center the laser beam localizer will placed over symphysis pubis. Chloral hydrate syrup at a dose of 1 ml/kg body weight was needed for children less than 5 years for sedation during MRI examination.
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.
The role of the radiologist is one that has undergone numerous changes over the years and continues to evolve a rapid pace. Radiologists specialize in the diagnoses of disease through obtaining and interpreting medical images. There are a number of different devices and procedures at the disposal of a radiologist to aid him or her in these diagnoses’. Some images are obtained by using x-ray or other radioactive substances, others through the use of sound waves and the body’s natural magnetism. Another sector of radiology focuses on the treatment of certain diseases using radiation (RSNA). Due to vast clinical work and correlated studies, the radiologist may additionally sub-specialize in various areas. Some of these sub-specialties include breast imaging, cardiovascular, Computed Tomography (CT), diagnostic radiology, emergency, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), musculoskeletal, neuroradiology, nuclear medicine, pediatric radiology, radiobiology, and Ultrasound (Schenter). After spending a vast amount of time on research and going to internship at the hospital, I have come to realize that my passion in science has greatly intensified. Furthermore, both experiences helped to shape up my future goals more prominently than before, which is coupled with the fact that I have now established a profound interest in radiology, or rather nuclear medicine.
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-...
...tance, which creates contrast, and having a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan, Computed Tomography (CT) scan, or a fluoroscopic X-ray.
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.
Cardiac dysrhythmias come in different degrees of severity. There are heart conditions that you are able to live with and manage on a daily basis and those that require immediate attention. Atrial Fibrillation is one of the more frequently seen types of dysrhythmias (NIH, 2011). The best way to diagnosis a heart condition is by reading a cardiac strip (Ignatavicius &Workman, 2013). Cardiac strips play an chief part in the nursing world allowing the nurse and other trained medical professionals to interpret what the heart is doing. In a normal strip, one can clearly identify a P wave before every QRS complex, which is then followed by a T wave; in Atrial Fibrillation, the Sinoatrial node fires irregularly causing there to be no clear P wave and an irregular QRS complex (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2013). Basically, it means that the atria, the upper chambers of the heart, are contracting too quickly and no clear P wave is identified because of this ‘fibrillation’ (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2013).
Today's technology helps routine screening measures be extremely accurate compared to past years. A new MRI, for instance, diagnoses heart disease in patients as far ahead as 10 years before they will be at risk of suffering a heart attack. Medical professionals are trained better today on what to be on the lookout for with routine screening tests and procedures.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is one of the medical imaging modality which provides excellent internal structures of the body using magnetic radiation (WHO, 2014). Better Health Channel (2011) suggested MRI is notably helpful visualizing contrasts of body organs and soft tissues, WHO pointed out MRI generates excellent images of the brain, spine, muscles, joints and other body structures. The images generated by the MRI machine is multiplanar, this means the image is obtained in multiple planes of the body without the patient changing its body position (WHO, 2014). MRI can also be viewed in 3D (Southern Radiology).
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 ...
[Cover: discussion about how risks are balanced during risk assessment, why this is a difficult task -> proposing a set of principles and practical measures that might assist both researchers and patients, to enable more informed decisions about risk]
Couch, D., Liamputtong, P., & Pitts, M. (2012). What are the real and perceived risks and
Roman slaves extracted and prepared the lead, describes a disease among the slaves that was clearly lead poisoning. Because of their potential toxicity, lead water pipes are no longer being installed. The greatest single use of lead metal today is in the plates of storage batteries for automobiles. The protective oxidation layer formed by lead in contact with such substances as air, sulfuric acid, and fluorine makes it highly resistant to corrosion. For this reason, lead has been used to make drainage pipes and lead chambers in sulfuric acid factories.
CTscans stands for “Computed Tomography”. It is a way of looking inside your body using a special camera. It is an advanced scanning x-ray and computer system that makes detailed pictures of horizontal cross-sections of the body, or the part of the body that is x-rayed. A CT scan is a diagnostic test that combines the use of x-ray with computer technology. A series of x-beams from many different angles are used to get these cross-sectional images of the patient’s body. In a computer, these pictures are assembled into a 3-dimentianal picture that can display organs, tissues, bones, and any such thing. It can even show ducts, blood vessels and tumors. One of the advantages of CT is that it clearly shows soft tissue structures (such as brain), as well as dense tissue structure (such as bone). The pictures of a Ctscanner are a lot more detailed than the pictures of a regular X-ray machine. It can make pictures of areas protected or surrounded by bones, which a regular X-ray machine can not. Because of this, a CT scanner is said to be 100 times as affective and clever as an ordinary X-ray, and can therefore diagnose some diseases a lot earlier and quicker. It is recent technology that has made it possible to accurately scan objects into a computer in three dimensions, even though the machines and ideas were developed in the 1970s. In the 70s doctors started to use this new type of machine that could give detailed pictures of organs that the older type of x-ray, machine could not give.