When is an MRI Unsafe?

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a scanning technique that enables a doctor to see inside your body in detail without using x-rays. MRI scanners use radio waves, a powerful magnet, a computer system, and magnetic field components. The scan provides your doctor with critical information of various types of body tissue including joints, the brain, spine, and internal organs, differently than a CT (computerized tomography) scan or an X-ray would.

While MRI is a generally safe procedure, it must be performed by a skilled radiologist. Additionally, there are cases where an MRI could be unsafe for you. You should have an expert MRI center handle your scan if you want to undergo a safe procedure. At Los Angeles Diagnostics, we provide professional MRI services for referred patients and cash-based clients. Our highly specialized radiologists are always available to help you find an accurate diagnosis to your health problems. If you are looking to undergo this kind of scan in Los Angeles, CA, please reach out to us for a consultation.

When an MRI Is Unsafe For You

As mentioned above, an MRI scan is typically safe, and many people are eligible to undergo the procedure. Because radiation isn’t used, there isn’t any risk of exposure during this procedure. But because of the use of the strong magnet, MRI might not be recommended in certain instances. It may be unsafe for you to have an MRI if:

You Have Metal Fragments or Implants in Your Body

Having a metallic element in your body does not necessarily imply that you cannot undergo MRI scanning. However, your doctor must know about it since the powerful magnets used during the procedure may affect any metallic fragments or implants in the body. Your doctor can then decide, based on your case, if there is any risk or if additional measures should be observed to ensure the procedure is safe.

For instance, the physician could make a defibrillator or pacemaker MRI-safe or monitor your heart rhythm during the scanning. You may have to do an x-ray if you are not sure about having metal fragments or implants in you. Examples of metallic elements or implants include:

Metal wires, screws, rods, or plates that are used during surgeries for bone fractures
An implanted pacemaker — this is a small electric gadget used to regulate a person’s irregular heartbeat. MRI will be unsafe for you if you have an implanted pacemaker since the fields generated can damage these components and interfere with functioning. However, there are now new MRI-conditional pacemakers, but even if one is implanted in you, you should only do MRI scanning when considered medically necessary and under strict guidelines.
An ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) — This device is similar to a pacemaker. It uses electric shock to control heartbeats.
Nerve stimulators — these are electrical implants used in treating perpetual nerve pain.
Drug pump implants — drug implants are used in treating long-lasting pain by supplying painkilling medicine directly to a given area in the body, like the lower back. They might malfunction during the MRI process. The details for your specific model determine whether you can safely undergo an MRI.
Cochlear implants— A cochlear implant is a device that resembles a hearing aid that is surgically implanted into the ear. It can create tissue damage or be damaged in the presence of an MRI system. If you have a cochlear implant and need to do an MRI, your radiologist must observe strict protocols.
Metallic fragments near or in your blood vessels or eyes (common in persons who do metalwork or welding)
The electrodes utilized in deep brain stimulation can cause injuries or suffer damage during the MRI process.
Penile implants— these are used in treating impotence (erectile dysfunction)
Artificial (prosthetic) metal heart valves
Particular types of IUDs (Intrauterine devices)— IUDs are Contraceptive devices made of copper and plastic that fit in the womb.
Eye implants like the small metallic clips used to hold the retina in place.
Dental bridges and fillings— they may lose the magnetic hold that keeps them in place.
Artificial joints— for example, those used for knee or hip replacement.
Surgical staples, clips, metal sutures, or wire mesh— used to close a wound after a surgical procedure.
Brain aneurysm clips— These are small metallic clips used in sealing blood vessels in the brain that would otherwise be at risk of bursting (rupturing). They may become dislodged or move under the magnetic field force.
Tubal ligation clips— used in female sterilization
Bone-growth stimulators
Metallic foreign bodies— bullets, shrapnel, or any other metallic object near vital organs or great vessels like the heart, brain, or lungs, could be moved or heated by the magnetic field during MRI causing damage. These objects have to be evaluated to establish the injury risk they pose during the procedure.
Swan-Ganz catheter— the wire causes melting of the adjacent catheter and malfunctioning.
Any other kind of metal implants or fragments

If you have any implanted medical device in your body, you can only have an MRI scan if the device has been identified as MR conditional or MR safe. MR safe devices are nonmagnetic, contain no metal, don’t conduct electricity, and pose no known hazards in all MR environments.

MR conditional devices can be used safely only within an MR environment that matches their safe use conditions. Any medical device with an unknown MRI safety status ought to be presumed to be MR unsafe.

You Are Breastfeeding or Pregnant

An MRI scan isn’t usually recommended for a pregnant woman because of the possibility of a harmful increase in the amniotic fluid’s temperature. Even though it’s deemed to be generally safe to use later into pregnancy (after three months), it has not been established whether the strong magnetic fields have any long-term effects on the developing baby. Therefore, you may need to wait to undergo the scan until after your first trimester or do a different test instead. Your health provider probably will not use contrast dye whatsoever while you are pregnant.

And if you are breastfeeding, an MRI scan may affect you. The manufacturers of contrast dye say that women shouldn’t nurse for one or two days after undergoing the scan. If you’re expectant or think you might be, you have to inform your doctor before having the scan. And if you are breastfeeding, consult with your physician whether it is safe to continue doing so or if you must wait.

You Have Tattoos

As per new studies, there’s minimal risk of anything going wrong for tattooed patients when they undergo MRI scanning, but still, it is a risk that you should know about. A tattoo is created by using a fine needle to deposit ink underneath both the epidermis and dermis, where most of the colored particles will permanently stay if they are too large for your immune system to break down.

However, not all inks used for tattooing are made equal. Their compositions may vary both between colors and manufacturers. Thus, if you are not cautious, you may end up experiencing an allergic reaction to a given pigment.

Additionally, we have tattoo inks with traces of metals, such as lead, cobalt, titanium dioxide, manganese, chromium, copper, zinc, carbon black, and nickel. Others have ferrous pigments like iron oxides, and this is where an MRI scan can be unsafe. That is because metals like iron, cobalt, nickel, and manganese are ferromagnetic. That means when you enter a strongly magnetized tube and have magnetic fragments underneath your skin, it may be risky for you.

As per a report published in 2011 in a medical journal known as Sports Health, a patient suffered a burn from their tattoo when having an MRI. The journal reported that magnetic compounds could hypothetically generate an electric current, which raises the normal skin temperature high enough to lead to a cutaneous burn. And as per the FDA, various patients may experience burning or swelling in their tattoos during the scan.

Another reported side effect is a pulling sensation on the tattooed area due to the magnetic pigments in the tattoo ink that interact with the MRI’s strong magnetic fields. Another point worth noting is that tattoo inks with magnetic compounds can lead to imaging artifacts showing up in the MRI scan, leading to an image that isn’t diagnostically useful. Inform your radiographer right away if you experience any heat or discomfort in your tattoo during the scan.

You Are Allergic to Contrast Dye

If contrast dye is used, there’s a risk for allergic reaction to the dye. If you are sensitive to or allergic to medications, iodine, shellfish, or contrast dye, you should inform your technologist or radiologist. Allergic reaction symptoms include hives, dizziness, rash, feeling sick in the stomach, nausea, vomiting, flushed (reddish skin), etc. A more severe reaction to the contrast is rare. However, it can lead to symptoms like trouble breathing and swelling of the mouth and lips. MRI contrast might also affect other conditions like asthma, hypotension (low blood pressure), sickle cell disease, and anemia.

There might be other risks based on your specific health condition. Ensure you discuss any concerns you have with your doctor before the procedure.

You Have Severe Kidney Problems

Whether MRI is safe for you or not if you have kidney disease depends on the type of scan you are scheduled to undergo, i.e., an MRI without contrast dye and an MRI with contrast dye. There aren’t any special concerns if you want to have an MRI scan without contrast dye, but if you wish to undergo an MRI scan with contrast dye, there are a few concerns.

Contrast dye components, including metal gadolinium, are utilized to enhance various MRI scans. These components are injected into a vein in your arm or hand. If you have severe kidney failure, a contrast dye containing gadolinium may elevate the danger of a rare but severe disease known as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. This disease causes hardened and thickened tissue to form on the joints, organs, and skin.

Before undergoing an MRI scan, ensure your physician is aware of your kidney-related problems. Various blood tests can show how seriously the functions of your kidney are impaired. This, in turn, helps establish if you are at risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis.

In case your physician still suggests an MRI scan with contrast dye despite the possible dangers, you might be given the lowest possible dose of the kind of gadolinium that has been linked to the fewest side effects and complications.

Your medical provider may also recommend hemodialysis. This is a procedure conducted to filter wastes from the blood through a machine right after the scan.

You Cannot Lie Still

You will need to lie still in the MRI machine for thirty or more minutes to obtain a clear image. You also need to be able to obey breathing instructions. If you have had a recent surgery or injury, or if you have other health issues, it may be difficult for you to lie still for the entire test. This is because when you are in pain, you may move during the scanning process.

Apart from not obtaining a clear image, not lying still or being incapable of obeying breathing instructions can restrict image interpretation and lower the report’s accuracy. Some MRI sequences have to be obtained while you hold your breath and lie motionless.

You Are Afraid of Tight Spaces

A traditional Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner is an enclosed tube surrounded by a magnet. In case you are afraid of tight spaces, a condition known as claustrophobic, you may be uncomfortable inside the tube. However, you do not have to skip the scan entirely, but you might want to speak with your physician in advance about taking medication to relax you.

Alternatively, you could inquire about whether an open MRI is available. An open MRI is one where the machine is open on all ends. Note that if you opt to be sedated before the scanning, there’s a slight risk that comes with using the sedation medication.

Other few tips you may employ to enable pass through the MRI machine if you are claustrophobic include:

Listening to music— in case the examination allows, ask about listening to music. MRI scans are loud, and the noise alone may be jarring. Add the feeling of being confined to the noise, and it will be too much to bear if you’re claustrophobic. By listening to relaxing music, you could distract your mind from the fact that you’re in a small, confined space.
Covering your eyes—whether you opt to use an eye mask or have your eyes closed, do not look. Before moving into the machine, put on music and close or cover your eyes. Try to relax or sleep. In case you can prevent your eyes from seeing the small space you’re in, you could block your mind from having irrational thoughts.
Breathing and meditation— focus on breathing deeply and calmly. This way, you can prevent yourself from having an anxiety attack and hyperventilating due to the derailing procedure. Deep, relaxing breathing with the eyes closed will keep you at peace. Prayer or meditation helps many people concentrate on positive energy when facing fear.

You Have Consumed Alcohol Within the Last 24 Hours

Alcohol consumption 24 hours before or after the MRI contrast dye process isn’t usually recommended because of how alcohol may react with gadolinium. However, there has not been any major medical research conducted on alcohol reaction with gadolinium contrast dye after MRI scan acting as a catalyst in causing health complications. Also, no biological abnormality has been associated with alcohol consumption in relation to gadolinium-containing contrast dye.

Another reason to avoid drinking is that you need to stay as highly hydrated as possible before and after MRI for your kidney to flash out gadolinium effectively. Alcohol may dehydrate your body. You shouldn’t also smoke six hours before the scan and should put on loose and comfortable clothing like a Bermuda and t-shirt without embellishments.

You Have a High Body Mass Index (BMI)

If you have a high BMI, you may find it difficult to fit in the MRI machine’s narrow bore. An MRI scanner with a bigger space can be ideal for you.

You Have Recently Undergone a Colonoscopy

If a colonoscopy procedure was performed on you in the last eight weeks, inform your radiologist if any endoscopy pill cams or clips were placed or used during the process. If these devices exist or you do not know if they were used on you, extra caution must be observed.

Contact a Skilled Radiologist Near Me

At Los Angeles Diagnostics, your comfort and health are critical to us. We always explain any procedure before we perform it; MRI scanning included. We also respond to any questions that you may have. In case you wish to undergo MRI scanning in Los Angeles, California, or have any concerns or questions about the procedure, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 323-486-7502 right away.