Quick Facts: MRI

As stated in our Cincinnati Children’s Radiology website, MRI is a way to take pictures of the body using a large powerful magnet, radio waves and a computer. The computer generates detailed pictures of your body and each picture looks like a slice taken through your body. One of the differences from a CT scan is that it doesn’t use radiation (x-rays).

Here are some other quick facts about MRI that you may not know:

• As stated earlier, an MRI scan does not use radiation or x-ray to take a picture of your body
• An MRI usually generates more detail than CT
• The scans may take a lot longer than a CT
• The MRI machine is always on
  • It is a very long, time-consuming process if the machine needs to be shut down (30-60 minutes)
  • In emergency situations, the machine can be quickly turned off, but only when someone’s life is in danger and it’s expensive
• Our MRI machines put patients in a narrow tunnel
  • Some patients who are not used to close confinement may get anxious or claustrophobic
    • In this case, patients are sedated or wear specialized goggles to watch movies if they need to stay awake and responsive during the exam
• The MRI machine makes loud weird noises as it takes a picture

These are some quick facts about MRI. Having an MRI exam is one of the most powerful tools our radiologists can use in order to diagnose our patients.