going in for a mri arthrogram?

Question

they are going to ck my r/ wrist for a scapholunate ligament tear. i understand that they use a contrast injection with the mri to ck blood flow through the hand and wrist to determine any injuries. they are doing this on mon the 26th. of course last night i'm watching tv and a lawyer commercial comes on about mri tests with contrast injections causing a slew of health problems etc. i can't imagine that they have done this test as long as they have if that 's really the case. can someone really in the know tell me the real truth concerning this issue. i really need to have this test done to determine the condition of my wrist- yet i don't want something in me that is going to cause health problems including kidney damage. maybe some attorneys are just trolling for malpractice clients. thanx for all the info.

Answer 1

I work at a hospital in records to be exact, lots of patients come in and have CT's and MRI's done, most of the time with and with out contrast material. Staring and charts all day long you tend to learn which type of procedures are dangerous in general and which are routine and go virtually with out any problems. I've never seen any cases of a patient having reacted badly to the contrast material tho i have seen some cases where the patient was made a little nauseous or even vomited afterward. Don't worry you should be just fine. About the only thing that would most likely happen is the nausea thing or sometimes it can change the color of your urine, it's harmless. If you are however that concerned make sure to ask the MRI tech. to explain to you very thoroughly all of the possible side effects of it. They are required to tell you. And you may be right about the attorney's. Have you ever wondered why you see all those darn mesothelioma commercials???? Their first concern is the almighty dollar not really educating the public about health concerns...

Answer 2

The contrast used in the MRI is safe if your kidney's are
functioning normally. This is what the lawers are talking about ."Gadolinium-based contrast agents increase the risk for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in patients with:

Acute or chronic severe renal insufficiency (glomerular filtration rate < 30mL/min/1.73m2), or
Acute renal insufficiency of any severity due to the hepato-renal syndrome or in the perioperative liver transplantation period.

In these patients, avoid use of gadolinium-based contrast agents unless the diagnostic information is essential and not available with non-contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). NSF may result in fatal or debilitating systemic fibrosis affecting the skin, muscle and internal organs. Screen all patients for renal dysfunction by obtaining a history and/or laboratory tests. When administering a gadolinium-based contrast agent, do not exceed the recommended dose and allow a sufficient period of time for elimination of the agent from the body prior to any readministration." This is a direct copy from the bracco web site, one of the contrast makers. This has primarily happened in people with poor kidney function who had several MRI's in a short time period. At the hospital that I work at we now ask the patient if the have any renal issues and/or check their lab values if avaible. Your personal doctor and you would know if you had poor kidney functions it is checked routinely with the blood drawn in lab. Also for a arthrogram the contrast is injected directly into the joint and a very low dose is used: even less than what would be use in a scan of any other part of the body.

Generally the MRI contrast is better tolerated than the x-ray contrast. It has fewer side effects and doesn't cause additional trauma to the kidneys. Many fewer people are allergic, also

Answer 3

Absolutely no need to worry unless your are in renal failure (kidney failure) or on dialysis. You will have very little contrast injected into your joint, and it will completely dissipate in 24 hrs. thanks to your functioning kidneys. You'll never know it was in your system. And yes the lawyers are having a great time with the NSF thing, but it is truthfully a very safe contrast material. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Every drug is having some interference with the body activities.The contrast injection you mentioned might be fatal to a person whose kidney is severely damaged.But you are very healthy i believe.To prevent allergic reactions, they will do what is required....don't worry about that.I don't think there will be much problem for you.Go for it

Answer 5

it quite is nearly a CT try yet you bypass in extra effective, and it quite is quite an outstanding magnet... it quite is why you may desire to now no longer placed on any metallic or have metallic implanted on your physique. i'd desire to assist you to realize some concepts approximately how this has delivered approximately tragedies, yet I won't subject you to any volume further than you already are!! you will lie although and hear loud clicking/clacking sounds... now no longer something extra effective. quite un-eventful...

Answer 6

Only if you have them done often, one injection wont hurt unless you are allergic, most arent, i had it done, nothing to it unless you are clostrophobic, lol.

Answer 7

You raise some good points in your question.