MRI machines are generally safe. However, you should ensure you don't have any magnetic items with you.
Woman Sustained Injury During MRI Scan
A Wisconsin woman, age 57, recently had a regrettable injury to her buttock. She had brought a hidden handgun into the hospital when she went for an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). The gun fired because of the machine's strong magnet.
This is not the first instance of a firearm injury in an MRI scanner in 2023. A Brazilian lawyer lost his life in February when a revolver concealed in his waistband accidentally fired into his belly.
In one form or another, MRI has a lengthy history that dates back to the 1930s. After years of research and modification, the first patient scan occurred in 1977.
Every year, about 95 million MRI scans are carried out. It is a valuable and safe diagnostic equipment that doesn't expose the user to hazardous ionizing radiation and provides good tissue resolution in diagnostic images. Patients can use it safely as long as they follow the rules.
MRI scan is a safe and painless treatment. If you're claustrophobic, it could be uncomfortable, but most individuals can get through it with the radiographer's help.
The larger tube found in most contemporary MRI scanners can lessen claustrophobia. It might be simpler to enter the scanner feet first, albeit this isn't always feasible.
Numerous studies have been conducted to determine whether the radio waves and magnetic fields used in MRI scans could harm human health. MRI scans are among the safest medical treatments accessible because there is no evidence to imply a risk.
How Does MRI Scan Work?
The massive, cylindrical (tube-shaped) MRI machine creates an intense magnetic field around the patient, which also transmits radio wave pulses from a scanner. While some MRI scanners have an open design, others resemble tiny tunnels.
The atoms in your body align in the same direction due to the intense magnetic field produced by the MRI scanner. These atoms are then moved from their initial positions by radio waves supplied by the MRI equipment.
The atoms return to their starting positions and emit radio signals when the waves are cut off. A computer receives these signals and transforms them into an image of the physical component under examination. This picture is displayed on a viewing screen.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be used instead of computed tomography (CT) when studying organs or soft tissue. When it comes to differentiating between different kinds of soft tissues and between normal and pathological soft tissues, MRI is superior.
There is no chance of radiation exposure during an MRI operation because ionizing radiation is not employed.
Additional magnetic resonance technology has developed as a result of newer applications for magnetic resonance imaging. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) assesses blood flow via arteries. Additionally, vascular malformations, or anomalies of the blood arteries in the brain, spinal cord, or other body regions, can be found with MRA. These conditions include brain aneurysms.
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