Most people feel nothing after receiving an injection of contrast, Dr. Taouli says. Only a very small number of people will have adverse effects. Of those, a skin rash, hives, and pain at the injection site are more common.
During the injection, you can expect some pinching and a little burning. The needles are usually the biggest concern for arthrogram patients, says Dr. Newman.
The contrast dye will be injected into the joint using a long, thin needle. You may feel pressure as the needle is moved into the joint, but tell the healthcare provider if it hurts so more numbing medicine can be used.
Most patients do not notice any sensations, although a few patients will report a cold feeling in the arm during the injection, which is of no significance. An even smaller number (between about 1 and 4 in 100) will notice mild nausea or headache. Vomiting can occur, but this is rare (less than 1 in 100 injections).
If you require contrast dye, your procedure may take up to 90 minutes.
There also aren't any restrictions on what you can do after the test. “Patients can resume their normal activities immediately after the MRI scan,” Dr. Taouli says. (Unless you had any drugs for sedation or anxiety, in which case you may need someone to drive you home; be sure to ask your doctor about this beforehand.)
During the procedure, they'll inject the gadolinium-based dye into your arm intravenously. The contrast medium enhances the image quality and allows the radiologist more accuracy and confidence in their diagnosis. The contrast medium dye doesn't permanently discolor your internal organs.
There are some side effects of MRI contrast dyes, such as gadolinium-based contrasts. Mild side effects include headache, nausea, dizziness, itchy skin, and a cold sensation during injection.
Keep your eyes closed or even wear a blindfold.
It's much easier in an open MRI it's wider than a standard scanner, so patients shouldn't feel any walls touching them.
If intravenous contrast is used, you will be injected. At the time of injection, you may have a brief feeling of warmth and flushing, a salty or metallic taste in your mouth or feel the urge to urinate. This feeling should not last.
A typical scan of the body, without intravenous contrast, can take about 10 minutes. If we use IV contrast, it can take about 30 minutes. If you need to take contrast, we will ask you to arrive an hour early.
All patients have the right to decide what medical testing and treatment they would like to receive. If you fear the injection or possible contrast side-effects, please discuss this with your physician or the MRI technician.
You'll be asked to lie still on a table throughout the scan. The technologist may instruct you to hold your breath for a few seconds, depending on the body part that is being examined. The entire exam takes between 60-90 minutes depending on the extent of scanning required.
A full-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan usually takes 60 minutes. The procedure is safe, painless, and non-invasive. The Ezra Full-body MRI scans up to 14 organs for cancer and other diseases such as hernias, aneurysms, fatty liver disease, and many more.
Many MRI procedures don't require your head to go inside the machine at all, but if you need a head or upper spine MRI, you'll appreciate the fact our machine provides a full 12 inches of clearance between your face and the wall – relieving stress for our patients with claustrophobia.
Not intentionally. Many of our examinations require your cooperation and ability to follow commands to hold your breath to produce the images required to make a diagnosis. For those examinations, we will not allow you to fall asleep.
Counting numbers or listening to music: Counting slowly or listening to a soothing melody can help distract you and make the time pass quickly while you are in the scanner. Talk to the Technician: In most instances, you can speak to the technician throughout most of the procedure.
If You Have an Overactive Bladder
This feeling of urgency can make it harder to hold urine in. While you may still experience this urgency to a degree, not drinking for several hours before your procedure can make you less likely to experience incontinence during the scan.
Typically injected into a vein in the hand or arm during the scan, contrast is used to enhance the appearance of certain structures within the body. Dyes are not always essential – when looking at bones, ligaments and tendons, contrast dyes are rarely needed.
If your brain MRI requires a contrast material, your healthcare provider will insert an intravenous catheter (IV line) into a vein in your hand or arm. They'll use this IV to inject the contrast material. Contrast materials are safe intravenous (IV) drugs.
Yes, you can eat and drink as normal.
You will be asked to remove any clothing containing metal and all jewelry. You will be provided metal free clothing to change into such as gown, shorts or pants.
When not properly accommodated during an MRI, claustrophobic patients may experience panic attacks, which can bring on increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, chills, sweating, and other distressing symptoms.
There aren't any side-effects from the MRI scan itself. However, if you've had an injection of contrast medium (dye) as part of the investigation, you may have some side-effects which might include a skin rash, dizziness, a headache, and nausea.