Preparation
Before an MRI of the lungs is performed, an informative conversation is held with the physician, who explains the risks. Since the patient is not exposed to radiation, there are hardly any side effects during the examination. Only when contrast medium is administered may side effects occur, which the doctor will discuss with the patient.
If the patient has any known intolerances, he should inform the doctor. Also, if the patient suffers from claustrophobia, the doctor should know this, since the administration of a sedative should possibly be discussed. Immediately before the examination, the patient must remove all metal parts from the body.
This applies to jewelry and piercings, as well as to clothing with metal parts, such as an underwired bra. Also keys and wallets must not be taken into the examination room. All things are attracted by the strong magnetic field and can damage both the examination device and the patient.
Implementation
When all metal-containing objects have been removed, the patient is placed in a supine position on a couch. In most cases, a venous access is made for the administration of contrast medium. If inhaled contrast medium is used, it must be inhaled before the images are taken.
If the patient is claustrophobic, he or she will be given an additional sedative. The couch is then moved into the tubular examination device. Prior to this, the patient is given sound-proof headphones to screen out the very loud knocking noises that occur during the examination.
He also gets a switch in his hand which he can press if he does not feel well. The signal is then sent to the supervising radiology assistants in the next room. The radiological assistants are located behind a glass pane in the next room and follow what is happening.
They can intervene at any time if the patient has a panic attack (e.g. due to claustrophobia in the MRI) or the like. If the patient is then inside the tube and the examination begins, it is very important to lie still. Even the slightest movement can lead to inaccuracies in the images. During the examination it may be necessary to hold your breath briefly and avoid swallowing. The radiological assistants will inform the patient about this.After about 20 minutes, the examination is completed and after some waiting time, a conversation with a radiologist who has evaluated the images takes place.