Smoking before MRT
Smoking prior to an MRI examination is not generally prohibited. Only in the case of special examinations or questions is smoking “forbidden” prior to the imaging procedure, as it could impair the quality of the images. These include images of the gastrointestinal tract (e.g. small intestine imaging according to Sellink), since smoking prior to the examination leads to increased production of gastric acid, which can sometimes make image quality and the examination of the stomach and intestinal mucosa more difficult.
Smoking must or should also be avoided prior to MRI images of the heart, especially during MRI examinations where the heart is deliberately put under stress (stress MRI). Smoking, as well as the consumption of coffee, tea, chocolate or liquorice, can lead to falsification of the examination. The editorial staff also recommends: MRI for overweight persons
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