When it comes to MRI safety, there are good reasons why we have certain rules or protocols that we must follow. Test your MRI safety knowledge and see if you can answer the questions below. The answers are listed below the image.
- Why is it important to change the dead lightbulbs in an MRI scan room?
- Why is it not OK to bring in your mobile phone and/or Apple Watch into the scanner?
- Can I wear my wedding ring inside the MRI scanner?
- It’s important to change the lightbulbs because dead lightbulbs in an MRI scan room can cause imaging issues. It creates something on the image called an artifact, which can/will obscure the anatomy/diagnosis.
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Image: Ax susceptibility-weighted image shows extensive orthodontic artifact obscuring the anterior brain (blue arrow). On the T2-weighted image in the same patient, the brain is well seen (yellow), and the artifact is not a factor.
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- If you brought your phone or Apple Watch into the scanner, it would drain the battery (which can cause issues when trying to charge it again). There is no danger to the person with the phone, but the device may be permanently damaged and may need to be replaced.
- If the wedding ring is made from a high-end metal material (such as gold, silver, platinum, titanium, etc.) or a non-metallic material (such as wood, silicone, etc.) then it does not need to be removed (unless we are imaging the left hand/wrist). If the ring has any iron in it, then it will have a magnetic pull and needs to be removed. Most wedding rings can remain on throughout the scan.
Contributions from Tony Dandino, RT(MR); Glenn Miñano, BFA, editor; Meredith Towbin, copy editor
