What is MRI?Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive test that uses a magnetic field and radiofrequency waves to create detailed pictures of organs and structures inside your body. It can be used to examine your heart and blood vessels, and to identify areas of the brain affected by stroke. Magnetic resonance imaging is also sometimes called nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging. Show
Quick facts
Why do people have MRI scans for heart problems?An MRI can help your doctor diagnose many different heart conditions, including:
MRI may be used instead of other tests that use ionizing radiation or iodine-containing contrast dyes, or both, such as X-ray, angiograms, computed tomography (CT) scans. Using MRI to look at blood vessels and how blood flows through them is called magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Unlike a traditional X-ray angiogram, this procedure doesn’t require inserting a catheter into your arteries. MRI techniques can also be used to measure heart function or how much blood the left ventricle can pump out to the body. What are the risks of MRI?MRI is a safe and painless test for most people. People with any type of metal device inside the body should not have an MRI unless the device is certified as MRI safe. Such devices include:
Check with your doctor about the safety of MRI if you:
How do I prepare for an MRI?
What happens during an MRI?A radiologist or MRI technologist usually performs the scan in a hospital, clinic or imaging center using special equipment.
You’ll need to lie still during the exam because movement can blur the images of your body. If you aren’t comfortable in close spaces, tell your doctor before the test. You can get a sedative to help you stay calm. Some clinics have machines with shorter magnets or wider openings to make you more comfortable. What happens after my MRI?
How can I learn more about an MRI?Talk with your doctor. Here are some good questions to ask:
Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisers. See our editorial policies and staff. Which diagnostic test produces a threeDuring a SPECT scan, the person lies on a table while a gamma camera rotates around the head and records where the radioisotope has traveled. hat information is converted by computer into cross-sectional slices that are stacked to produce a detailed three-dimensional image of tracer within the brain.
Which diagnostic test produces a threeComputed tomography angiography (CTA)
Beams of X-rays are passed from a rotating device through the area of interest in the patient's body from several different angles so as to create cross-sectional images, which are then assembled by a computer into a three-dimensional (3D) picture of the area being studied.
Which of the following is a cardiac diagnostic test that measures the electrical activity of the heart through the placement of electrodes on the chest and limbs?An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) records the electrical signal from the heart to check for different heart conditions. Electrodes are placed on the chest to record the heart's electrical signals, which cause the heart to beat.
Which neurological diagnostic test records the electrical activity of the brain on a strip of graph paper?Electroencephalography (EEG) is a method to record an electrogram of the spontaneous electrical activity of the brain.
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