What To Expect Before Chest MRI
Your doctor or the MRI technician will ask you some
questions before a chest MRI, including:
- Are you pregnant or do you think you could be?
- Have you had any surgery? If so, what kind?
- Do you have any metal objects in your body, like
metal screws or pins in a bone?
- Do you have any medical devices in your body,
such as a
pacemaker,
an implantable
cardioverter defibrillator, cochlear (inner-ear) implants, or brain
aneurysm clips? The strong magnets in the MRI machine can damage these devices.
Your answers will help your doctor decide whether
you should have a chest MRI.
Items Not Allowed in the MRI Room
Your doctor or technician will ask you to not wear
or bring metal or electronic objects into the MRI room. These include:
- Hearing aids
- Credit cards
- Jewelry and watches
- Eyeglasses
- Pens
- Removable dental work
- Any other magnetic objects
MRI magnets can damage these objects, and they can
interfere with the MRI machine.
The MRI Machine
An MRI machine looks like a long, narrow tunnel.
During the MRI, you lie on your back on a sliding table. The table passes
through the scanner as it takes pictures of your chest. Newer machines are
shorter and wider and don’t completely surround you; others are open on
all sides.
Tell your doctor if you’re afraid of tight or
closed spaces. He or she may give you medicine to help you relax or find you a
place that has an open MRI machine.
If you do receive medicine to relax you, your doctor
may ask you to stop eating about 6 hours before you take it. This medicine may
make you tired, so you’ll need to arrange for a ride home after the test.
Contrast Dye
Your doctor may give you a special substance (called
contrast dye) before the MRI. This dye allows the MRI to take more detailed
pictures of the structures in your chest.
The contrast dye will be injected into a vein in
your arm. You may feel some discomfort where the needle is inserted. You also
may have a cool feeling as the dye is injected.
The contrast dye used in a chest MRI doesn’t
contain iodine, so it won’t create problems for people who are allergic
to iodine. Rarely, people develop allergic symptoms from the dye, such as hives
and itchy eyes. If this happens, your doctor will give you medicine to relieve
the symptoms.
If you’re breast-feeding, ask your doctor how
long you need to wait after the test before you breast-feed. The contrast dye
can be passed to your baby through your breast milk.
You may want to prepare for the test by pumping and
saving milk for 24 to 48 hours in advance. You can bottle-feed your baby in the
hours after the test. |