MRI and Anesthesia

Dear Clinician,

In this issue of CWWJ, we raise an important clinical topic of MRI and Anesthesia. In fact, we want to emphasize that anesthetizing a patient in the MRI room is a challenge. The strong magnetic forces in that environment make it necessary for the anesthesiologist to organize work in the new way. With careful planning, all can be done smoothly. Rushing to MRI without proper knowledge can be hazardous both to the patient and to the staff.

I am excited to tell you about a new CWWJ tradition and excellent educational opportunity, as we have an agreement with GASNet to share with you articles that they prepare for CWWJ . As may of you know, GASNet is the leading international anesthesiology web site, which has its home base near Yale, in New Haven, USA.

In many places, MRI anesthesia has been an everyday practice, Still, an environment with strong magnetic forces poses clinical challenges, particularly to the way technology in the MRI can be employed. In the top clinical article, we share what Dr. Charlotte Bell (Yale University School of Medicine, USA) teaches us about Anesthesia in the MRI Suite. This is the first in the series of CWWJ articles by GASNet, and Dr. Bell covers important clinical and theoretical aspects.

We are delighted also to convey European views to you. Dr. M.P.Boidin with his team (Amphia Ziekenhuis, Breda, The Netherlands) have written a series of papers about their practical observations on how to manage the MRI anesthesia service in their hospital. They cover many practical and organizational aspects, like requirements of use of patient monitors and ventilators in the MRI. They also discuss the selection between anesthesia and sedation, and cover clinical facts that need to be know when working in the shielded MRI room.

Mr. Sami Miettinen, Datex-Ohmeda’s MRI product manger, writes about forces present during magnetic resonance imaging. He also warns us about the possibility of hazards in the MRI, which can result from lack of knowledge to the patient and staff. In fact, the MRI magnetic forces can cause a dangerous missile effect, if there would be a ferrous object inside a shielded MRI room. For example, he explains what can happen if one brings an oxygen cylinder to the MRI room. Devices or other material should be brought to the MRI room only if they have been in a proven way designed for MRI. He also covers other aspects, like how to protect your patient from cooling or burns, or how to reduce artifact, for example how to properly place ECG electrodes.

These are important topics for every clinician. Many thanks to our authors for their great contributions. This is CWWJ’s tenth clinical education issue. You can find all of the previous issues in our main menu, just a mouse-click away.

Ilkka S. Kalli MD, PhD, MBA
Anesthesiologist, Editor-in-Chief
Datex-Ohmeda’s Clinical Window Web Journal

Last updated: 1 August 2002Created
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