Mra what is it

The MRA scan does not use radiation but uses powerful magnets, so it is very important to know if your child has any metal in his or her body.

Metal can include a pacemaker; a heart valve replacement or cardiac stent; a pin to repair a broken bone; any kind of dental or ear implant; and all ear and body piercings. Your child must also remove any jewelry or hair accessories that contain metal. Women who are pregnant or believe they may be pregnant should not be in the exam room when an MRA scan is done. In this case, please bring another adult who can stay with your child during the scan.

Teenage patients who are pregnant or believe they may be pregnant should talk to their doctor before they have an MRA scan. This information will be kept confidential. Young children who might not be able to stay still for the entire scan can be given sedation medication to help them sleep during the scan. If your child is scheduled for sedation, there are important rules for eating and drinking that must be followed in the hours before the scan.

The MRA scan may take between 1 to 2 hours, depending on the body area or part that is undergoing the test. It is very important to let the technologist or doctor know if your child has any allergies to iodine; has had a prior reaction to contrast; or has asthma, kidney disease or sickle cell anemia.

Fast Facts About Sedation If your child receives sedation medication, he or she will not feel anything during the scan or remember it afterward. A pediatric radiology nurse will give your child the sedation medication under the supervision of a doctor.

There are no inhaled medications given. A supervising pediatric radiology doctor is always nearby when sedation medication is given. What Is MRA? The MRI gives very detailed pictures of tendons and other organs, such as the brain, because the imaging waves pass through the bones.

These detailed pictures give doctors information that they cannot learn from a physical examination. Following are the usual instructions given for eating and drinking. No matter what age your child is, you should follow the specific instructions given to you on the phone by the nurse.

For children older than 12 months: After midnight the night before the test, do not give any solid food or non-clear liquids.

That includes milk, formula, juices with pulp, chewing gum or candy. Your child should not drink anything carbonated such as pop. For infants under 12 months: Up to 6 hours before the scheduled arrival time , formula-fed babies may be given formula. Up to 4 hours before the scheduled arrival time , breastfed babies may nurse. For all children: Up to 2 hours before the scheduled arrival time , give only clear liquids.

In the 2 hours before scheduled arrival time , give nothing to eat or drink. Your child will be asked to lie down on the table.

Once your child is in position on the table, the MRI technologist will move the table into the MRI machine so that the body part of your child that is being tested is under the camera. The MRI machine will make loud banging and knocking noises during the scan.

You and your child will be given a set of foam earplugs to help protect your ears from the noise of the scanner. At times during the MRA scan, the staff will not be in the scanner room with you, but will be in a room nearby where the equipment controls are located. They will be able to see you and your child through a large window and will be watching him or her constantly during the scan. An intercom system will allow you to talk to them and vice versa.

Once the scan begins, your child will need to stay very still at all times to make sure the pictures turn out clearly.

They also answer any questions and explain the procedure to relieve anxiety. Some facilities also provide goggles or headsets so the child can watch a movie during the exam. This helps the child stay still and allows for good quality images. Leave all jewelry and other accessories at home or remove them prior to the MRI scan.

Metal and electronic items are not allowed in the exam room. They can interfere with the magnetic field of the MRI unit, cause burns, or become harmful projectiles. These items include:.

In most cases, an MRI exam is safe for patients with metal implants, except for a few types. People with the following implants may not be scanned and should not enter the MRI scanning area without first being evaluated for safety:. Tell the technologist if you have medical or electronic devices in your body. These devices may interfere with the exam or pose a risk. Many implanted devices will have a pamphlet explaining the MRI risks for that device.

If you have the pamphlet, bring it to the attention of the scheduler before the exam. MRI cannot be performed without confirmation and documentation of the type of implant and MRI compatibility. You should also bring any pamphlet to your exam in case the radiologist or technologist has any questions. If there is any question, an x-ray can detect and identify any metal objects. Metal objects used in orthopedic surgery generally pose no risk during MRI.

However, a recently placed artificial joint may require the use of a different imaging exam. Tell the technologist or radiologist about any shrapnel, bullets, or other metal that may be in your body. Foreign bodies near and especially lodged in the eyes are very important because they may move or heat up during the scan and cause blindness.

Dyes used in tattoos may contain iron and could heat up during an MRI scan. This is rare. The magnetic field will usually not affect tooth fillings, braces, eyeshadows, and other cosmetics. However, these items may distort images of the facial area or brain. Tell the radiologist about them. The traditional MRI unit is a large cylinder-shaped tube surrounded by a circular magnet. You will lie on a table that slides into a tunnel towards the center of the magnet.

Some MRI units, called short-bore systems , are designed so that the magnet does not completely surround you. Some newer MRI machines have a larger diameter bore, which can be more comfortable for larger patients or those with claustrophobia.

They are especially helpful for examining larger patients or those with claustrophobia. Open MRI units can provide high quality images for many types of exams. Open MRI may not be used for certain exams. For more information, consult your radiologist. Instead, radio waves re-align hydrogen atoms that naturally exist within the body. This does not cause any chemical changes in the tissues. As the hydrogen atoms return to their usual alignment, they emit different amounts of energy depending on the type of tissue they are in.

The scanner captures this energy and creates a picture using this information. In most MRI units, the magnetic field is produced by passing an electric current through wire coils. Other coils are inside the machine and, in some cases, are placed around the part of the body being imaged. These coils send and receive radio waves, producing signals that are detected by the machine. The electric current does not come into contact with the patient.

A computer processes the signals and creates a series of images, each of which shows a thin slice of the body. The radiologist can study these images from different angles. MRI is often able to tell the difference between diseased tissue and normal tissue better than x-ray, CT, and ultrasound.

Procedures use contrast material to clearly define the blood vessels being examined by making them appear bright white. The technologist will position you on the moveable exam table. They may use straps and bolsters to help you stay still and maintain your position. The technologist may place devices that contain coils capable of sending and receiving radio waves around or next to the area of the body under examination.

MRI exams generally include multiple runs sequences , some of which may last several minutes. Each run will create a different set of noises. If your exam uses a contrast material, a doctor, nurse, or technologist will insert an intravenous catheter IV line into a vein in your hand or arm. They will use this IV to inject the contrast material.

You will be placed into the magnet of the MRI unit. The technologist will perform the exam while working at a computer outside of the room. You will be able to talk to the technologist via an intercom. If your exam uses a contrast material, the technologist will inject it into the intravenous line IV after an initial series of scans.

They will take more images during or following the injection. When the exam is complete, the technologist may ask you to wait while the radiologist checks the images in case more are needed. The technologist will remove your IV line after the exam is over and place a small dressing over the insertion site. The entire examination is usually completed in approximately 60 minutes once imaging has started.

Most MRI exams are painless. However, some patients find it uncomfortable to remain still. Others may feel closed-in claustrophobic while in the MRI scanner. The scanner can be noisy. It is normal for the area of your body being imaged to feel slightly warm. If it bothers you, tell the radiologist or technologist.

It is important that you remain perfectly still while the images are being taken. This is typically only a few seconds to a few minutes at a time. You will know when images are being recorded because you will hear and feel loud tapping or thumping sounds.

The coils that generate the radio waves make these sounds when they are activated. You will be provided with earplugs or headphones to reduce the noise made by the scanner. You may be able to relax between imaging sequences. However, you will need to keep the same position as much as possible without moving. You will usually be alone in the exam room. However, the technologist will be able to see, hear, and speak with you at all times using a two-way intercom.

Many facilities allow a friend or parent to stay in the room if they have also been screened for safety. Some scanners have televisions and special headphones that you can use to help the time pass. MRA is used to look at the blood vessels in all parts of the body. The test may be done for the head, heart, abdomen, lungs, kidneys, and legs. MRA is generally safe. It uses no radiation. To date, no side effects from the magnetic fields and radio waves have been reported.

The most common type of contrast used contains gadolinium. It is very safe. Allergic reactions to the substance rarely occur. However, gadolinium can be harmful to people with kidney problems who require dialysis. If you have kidney problems, please tell your provider before the test. The strong magnetic fields created during an MRI can cause heart pacemakers and other implants to not work as well. They can also cause a piece of metal inside your body to move or shift.

Magnetic resonance imaging and arteriography. Rutherford's Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Kwong RY. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Editorial team.