The Magnetic Resonance Imaging Essay Example

Introduction

Technology has become an instrumental part of medical practice. The numbers of innovation and creativities that has been woven into medical practices is a pointer that the automation of medical exercises is soon hitting a pitch higher and is sure to establish a new level; all to the benefit of the patients and medical support. The innovation surrounding the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in today's hospitals have seen the medical practitioners enjoy better patient care provision, especially with the realization that the MRI has been employed in many areas of medical practice. Be as it may, the use of the MRI on the medical care has really expanded and there is an urgent need to control and to establish a clear path of operation that will see it not lose its bearing in the medical care market (Kaittanis et al., 2014). The MRI field is vastly engraved in many other expansive practices, several departments, and many other related medical practices. This paper seeks to delve into the specifics of MRI practices, related departments in a hospital setting, the impacts surrounding the practice, proper safety measures as well as investigations into relevant gadolinium-based agents.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The growth of Medical Resonance Imaging (MRI) Practice

MRI scans are very large magnetic illusions of radio magnetic waves generated through computers to create a detailed image of the internal organs of patients. The image of the organs come with their detailed structures, and their conformations that may be a pointer to any sort of alterations to the structural formations of these organs that may prompt further inquiry and medical investigations. The scanner resembles a huge hollow tube with a conformable table in the middle to allow for the patients sliding in and to enable the scanning process to take place. It is important to differentiate between the MRI scans from the CT scans, especially that many people tend to confuse between the two. It is also very different from X-rays since it does not use the harmful ionizing radiation that is very typical of X-rays. MRI scanners are more advanced, less harmful and produce a very detailed image of the structures of the organ under inquiry to the satisfaction of both the patient and the doctor as well.

The first MRI equipment was made using the technology of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) that helped in the projection of image tissues in the human body. They were able to use this technology to provide a correct diagnosis of conditions in the human body and eventually provide proper treatment to the very end. Whereas the major purpose of the NMR was to study the nuclear structure of the body systems as well as other tissues, it was later used of medical purposes by Lauterbur in 1970 (Kaittanis et al., 2014). Soon afterward, in 1972, Raymond Damadian improved on the NMR to create the first MRI of its kind. He was able to use the equipment to make the first successful medical diagnosis that ended up with the curing of the patient in question.

The first uses of the MRI Were to merely check on the elements of the body system alongside the detection of injuries on some of the critical tissues on the patient's body. Today, the MRI equipment has evolved to the extent that it detects and provides a possible diagnosis for patients under certain medical conditions. In modern society, the MRI machine helps in detecting cancerous tissues and even detailing on the stage of growth for immediate diagnosis.

Uses of MRI Scan

The evolutions pattern behind the development of the MRI technology points to a machine that has grown steadily to the benefit of human users. The MRI machine serves very many purposes, not to count such factors as assisting doctors and other scientists to examine the inside of the human body in great details using non-invasive tools. The MRI scan can be used to check on the anomalies of the brain and spinal cords; both of these conditions can render someone totally incapacitated and rendered handicapped. The MRI scan helps in detecting tumors, cysts among other anomalies in the body system. The scan has been of great help in detecting breast cancer in women, enabling the commencement of early diagnosis and eventual treatment process. Helps in checking for the various types of anomalies in the heart system as well as other organ problems such as liver and pelvic system especially in women.Safe Patient Care Practices in the MRI Environment

Operations in the MRI room must be followed by holistic and care observations especially with the aim to prevent fatalities that may arise. The MRI room and environment must be put in such a way that it is patient-centered and it must be able to take care of the patient's interest in everything else. There is a danger of fatalities in case some of the obvious procedure is not followed as they may even lead to death in some instances. The hygienic condition of the MRI safe where the machine is store must be on the highest level ensuring that bacteria and viruses do not grow.

The MRI uses very strong magnetic fields to generate images of the patient's body and the target organs under study. It is true that MRI could cause fatal injuries to the patients or even death in some cases whereby the operational environment is not followed clearly and procedurally to generate proper outcomes (Kaittanis et al., 2014). The nurses in charge together with the physicians must ensure that they have the full details of their patients' history alongside other conditions that may bring complications in the future. Patients with some implants in their bodies are not recommended to undergo the MRI procedure this may alter the functionality of the implants by themselves.

During the preparation for the examination, it is important to remove drug patches much a metallic backing or tattoos that have metallic pieces as these may cause body burn due to the strong electromagnetic waves that arise from the machine. The nurses need to know if the patient is pregnant or breastfeeding and the MRI procedure may alter the embryonic formation of the patients or contaminate breast milk for the patients.

The radiologist is supposed to be fully informed if the patient has any chronic kidney disease that calls for dialysis. Gadolinium-containing agents are known to lead to the rise in cases of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis which is a severe kidney condition. In other cases, these agents lead tot eh development of fibrosing dermopathy. The gadolinium-containing agents are very dangerous in the process of conducting MRI and as such must be separated as much as possible from those patients which chronic ailments s it may lead to a fatality in the scanning process (van Maanen, Forstmann, Keuken, Wagenmakers & Heathcote, 2016). Ferromagnetic objects should be as far away from the MRI room as possible as they are one of the agents that lead to future complications to the patients. The patients, however, can continue having food and drinks and may continue to take their medication unless the health-care provider thinks otherwise and advice contrary to that position.

The MRI operational environment is scary to many patients. The confinement is such that is leads to the development of claustrophobia to many patients who may in other cases feel disrupted in many ways ranging from a panic attack and feeling overly warm. Some people do are unable to breathe comfortably and feel suffocated in these MRI machines. The claustrophobia conditions create anxiety and generate a feeling of losing control. The claustrophobia condition may in some cases need to be treated through psychological means other than the medical approach.

The MRI process is engraved in an endless series of radiofrequency (RF) bio-effects which is a common condition in electronic Static fields. These radiofrequency rays in some cases alter the genetic confirmation of a person, thus leading tot eh development of overly complicated individuals of totally different phenotypes. In some cases, after the completion of the MRI scanning, individuals generate new conditions in their bodies that may condemn them to incapacitation as well as microwave radiations which are detrimental to the human body. The research on the effects of the RF bio-effects on human beings is in a way to the clinical phenomena and healthcare practices to the radiofrequency rays.

The interaction between static magnetic fields (SMFs) with the living organism is in some ways dangerous in the development and the cell proliferation on the patients who undergo MRI scanning. Very strong electromagnetic rays that in some cases will entirely affect the overall performance and the body functioning for the patients. The medical application of the static field bio-effects has so far been identified as some of the areas that need to be addressed by the innovations and the developers of the MRI machines.

While it is true that the effect of MRI on pregnant women could be detrimental to the health and the overall life of their babies and themselves as well, the major concern remains on finding the most appropriate way of dealing with the health concerns that arise from the operation for the MRI system. In some instances, the occupational exposure remains a major challenge in the operation of the MRI process (Kaittanis et al., 2014). This is the fact that the operating nurses and doctors remain within the radius of the MRI machine which could expose them to the dangerous rays which could affect their health beyond recovery. During the scanning process, it is important to ensure that the environment is made safe such that they do not suffer a passenger effect of the MRI effects.

Conclusion

The development of the MRI process has been one of the critical creations in the medical field. There have been improvements in the MRI system that has seen the development and the increased benefits of the MRI system that will see the advancement of the electromagnetism system (van Maanen, Forstmann, Keuken, Wagenmakers & Heathcote, 2016). The environment surrounding the operation of the MRI process should be designed in such a way that the health and the lives of those relevant to the operation are not affected in any way. in other instances, there is also call for the inclusion of other professionals such as engineers to redesign the machine to protect the health and the lives of the users.

References

Kaittanis, C., Shaffer, T. M., Ogirala, A., Santra, S., Perez, J. M., Chiosis, G., ... & Grimm, J. (2014). Environment-responsive nanophores for therapy and treatment monitoring via molecular MRI quenching. Nature communications, 5, 3384.

van Maanen, L., Forstmann, B. U., Keuken, M. C., Wagenmakers, E. J., & Heathcote, A. (2016). The impact of MRI scanner environment on perceptual decision-making. Behavior research methods, 48(1), 184-200.