MRIs have other advantages over computed tomography (CT) scans and x-rays. The most important advantage is that MRIs can provide a greater contrast between the bones and the soft body tissues, like ligaments and muscles.

X-rays have been around for more than a century now; MRIs are definitely the new kids on the block. They won’t replace x-rays but they can improve a doctor’s ability to diagnose and treat patients.

MRIs may be done with or without a contrast dye, most commonly, gadolinium . If a dye is used, it is injected into your vein and is seen by the doctor as it makes its way through the blood stream. Contrast dye may also be injected directly into a joint so doctors may see what is going on inside.

Who can’t have an MRI

Because MRIs operate with strong magnets, people who have heart pacemakers can’t have an MRI. Doctors would need to find an alternative test in that case.

Also, if you have any of the following, you must mention this to your doctor before undergoing an MRI, because of the metal they may contain, depending on how old they are and what they were made of:

• Clips put in place to treat a brain aneurysm

• Artificial heart valve

• Cochlear implant

• Artificial joint

• Stents placed into arteries to keep them open

The test

An MRI is painless but some people do feel a bit anxious while in the scanner. You are asked to lie on a stretcher, which then slides into the scanner. Some people ask for a mild sedative so they don’t get too anxious while undergoing the test. Also the test can be noisy as the machine does its work. If this disturbs you, you can ask for ear plugs to block the sounds.

Any dangers?

The only dangers involved in MRIs occur if the patients or someone in the room has metal objects on their person.

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Part of the Let’s Talk About… series

Image courtesy PhotoXpress.com

Post from: Blisstree

Let’s Talk About… MRIs

The traditional way of angiography is accomplished by snaking a catheter through a patient’s blood vessels, where a dye is injected near the heart. Patients receiving this test will receive the same amount of radiation, which is found in other standard test such as nuclear stress test.

When patients undergo CT scans they receive radiation equivalent 600 chest X-rays.

The amount of radiation that that is given to a patient depends on where your health care provider sends you to have the CT scan. Some medical facilities take into consideration the size of the patient, when deciding on the dosage. The smaller the patient, the smaller the dosage. The technician may also pinpoint the radiation to the specific portion of the heart, which shortens the patient’s exposure.

Find more on the the use of CT scans click here for video  Dr. Gupta CNN. 

Post from: Blisstree

Cardiac CT Scan Angiography

tPA is only administered if the symptoms are within a 3 hour window at most ER’s. What happens if you present saying your symptoms started yesterday? Well, first of all you are not fast tracked and wait as a stage or grade 2 patient. Next, you are not eligible to receive any clot busting type medications.

Aldo of importance, how you arrive at the hospital. Yes, believe it or not it does make a difference. If you are having signs or symptoms of a stroke you need to call 911 right away. An ambulance will assure you fast and prompt treatment as well as quicker service on the receiving end. I am a nurse and I can say this with 100% conviction!

Researchers analyzed data on 15,117 patients from 46 hospitals enrolled in the North Carolina Stroke Registry (NCCSR) from January 2005 to April 2008. The majority were ages 45 or older; 54 percent were women; 53 percent of patients arrived by Emergency Medical Service (EMS); and 38 percent received care at hospitals designated as stroke centers. Only 23 percent of all NCCSR patients arrived at the hospital within two hours of symptom onset and were thus suitable for evaluation to receive tPA. Current National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) guidelines recommend that a patient receive a computer tomography (CT) scan within 25 minutes of hospital arrival. In an analysis of 3,549 patients who arrived at the hospital within two hours of symptoms onset, only 23.6 percent received a CT scan within 25 minutes. Among this group, researchers found that those who arrived by ambulance were more than twice as likely to receive a timely CT scan than were those who “walked in” on their own.

What are the signs and symptoms of a stroke:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

via AHA

Post from: Blisstree

Stroke and tPA: The way and speed in which you present is life or death

What are the benefits of CAT?

Costs for patients who received immediate CTA in the emergency department averaged about $1,240, while costs of stress testing and telemetry monitoring topped $4,000 for each patient. CTA also helped get low-risk chest pain patients home faster, potentially reducing emergency room crowding — study patients who received immediate CTA were discharged after an average of 8 hours, compared to more than 24 hours for those who received stress tests or were admitted for telemetry monitoring.

I think that this will soon be a readily available and popular procedure among chest pain management areas in your local ER’s.

via Science Daily 

Post from: Blisstree

New CT technology will aid in chest pain management among ER’s

This could save many of lives, in emergent and routine situations. What are the real benefits?

The 3-D ultrasound has the benefit of being less expensive and faster than the traditional methods of assessing blood flow in the brain — MRI or CT scanning, Ivancevich said. Though 3-D ultrasound will not totally displace MRI or CT scans, he said that the new technology would give physicians more flexibility in treating their patients.

via Science Daily

Post from: Blisstree

New 3-D ultrasound sees past skull