Prepare a Patient for an MRI

General Instructions

Patients are prepared for an MRI by removing all unnecessary metallic objects, including jewelry and drug delivery patches.

All patients and other individuals in the room during the actual scan receive acoustic noise protection. When possible, two forms of noise protection are utilized, i.e. ear plugs and pads or head phones.

Patient Screening Prior to MRI

Patients are thoroughly screened for any absolute contraindications to an MRI which are: 

• Intracranial aneurysm clips
• Ocular metallic foreign bodies
  • If the patient or guardian is not sure of the presence of an ocular object, but there is a significant likelihood based upon the individual's past experience or occupation, MRI is not performed until independent verification is made.
  • To independently verify the presence or absence of an ocular object, the patient should be referred for an x-ray procedure. A single Water's view is normally sufficient; however, a supplementary CT exam of the orbits using 3mm contiguous slices may also be required at the discretion of the attending radiologist following review of the plain film.
• Cardiac pacemakers
• Any electrically active implant

Patients are also screened for other potential contraindications to an MRI which include:

• Cochlear implants
• Any known ferromagnetic metallic materials within the body
• Pregnancy
• Coils, stents, and filters 
  • Patients with a history of coil, filter or stent implantation are not granted access to the MRI scan room until the device is identified and the manufacture’s MRI labeling information is reviewed and approved. 
  • Patient is scanned according to the manufacturer guidelines in regards to surface coil selection, dB/dt, T/m, G/cm monitoring of Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) and magnet strength, and configuration.