My purpose in creating this blog is to help those who find themselves in a Radiology Department in an emergency and/or trauma situation feel informed and less fearful of what may happen. Before the fall of 2000, the Radiology Department was just another hallway in the hospital to me. I had never had an x-ray and so really had no knowledge of what took place there. I just figured it was somewhere people went after breaking bones so the doctors could know how to fix it.

Friday, April 30, 2010

MRI Risks


The MRI examination poses almost no risk to the average patient when appropriate safety guidelines are followed. If sedation is used, there are risks of excessive sedation. The technologist or nurse monitors your vital signs to minimize this risk. Although the strong magnetic field is not harmful in itself, implanted medical devices that contain metal may malfunction or cause problems during an MRI exam. There is a very slight risk of an allergic reaction if contrast material is injected. Such reactions usually are mild and easily controlled by medication. If you experience allergic symptoms, a radiologist or other physician will be available for immediate assistance. Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis is currently a recognized, but rare, complication of MRI believed to be caused by the injection of high doses of MRI contrast material in patients with very poor kidney function.

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