At the time of scheduling you will be asked several questions about your surgical history, and information about anything that may be of concern in the MRI environment. You will be asked to fill out a safety questionnaire. This is available online for you to print out and complete prior to your MRI appointment, or you may complete it the day of your exam. A technologist will review the information with you prior to escorting you into the MRI exam room.
Examples of things you will be asked are if you have any of the following implanted devices or history:
- Brain aneurysm clips
- Cardiac pacemaker
- Metal or electronic implants
- A history of metal in the eye
- Pregnancy
- Claustrophobia
- Transdermal medication patch (nicotine or pain)
- Recent surgery
- Tattoos
- Body piercings
- Body modification implants
Even if you have an implanted device, you may be able to have an MRI.
Devices are tested for their compatibility in the MR environment. Then they are specifically categorized using a status designation, which indicates the object to be safe, conditional, or unsafe.
Safe - the object is considered safe for the patient undergoing an MR procedure or an individual in the MR environment, with special reference to the highest static magnetic field strength that was used for evaluation.
Conditional - the object may or may not be safe for the patient undergoing an MR procedure or an individual in the MR environment, depending on the specific conditions that are present.
Unsafe - the presence of this object is considered to be a contraindication for an MR procedure or for an individual in the MR environment.
*Evaluating your safety may require obtaining prior operative reports, implant logs, and doctor’s notes. Our trained professionals will carefully review your surgical history before your enter the MR environment.
Ensuring the safety of our patients, staff, and ancillary workers is an integral part of Metro MRI Center. Our staff are highly-trained in the aspects of MRI Safety. Safety literature is accessed and updated on a daily basis.
Aspects of MRI Safety:
- Static magnetic field-related issues such as translational and rotational forces on ferromagnetic materials
- Time-varying magnetic field-related issues such as induced voltage, auditory considerations, and thermal issues
- Personnel qualifications and training
- Site access restrictions
- Pregnancy-related issues
- Guidelines on claustrophobia, anxiety, sedation, analgesia, and anesthesia
- Contrast agent safety
- An entirely rewritten section on the safety of MR scanning of device patients, such as patients with cardiac pacemakers, implanted auto-defibrillators, etc.
- MR siting considerations
- Emergency preparedness planning
For more information on MRI Safety Standards, you may visit these websites.
http://www.acr.org/quality-safety/radiology-safety/mr-safety