MD Anderson: A Case Study

Purchasing new MRI scanners would be a good investment for the hospital. If one takes into consideration, operating costs along with repairing and purchase of the product alone. Many hospitals may consider wanting to purchase refurbished items but that would not be a good idea considering the costs to maintain and longevity of the product itself. Purchasing a brand new MRI scanner is just like the purchase of a brand new, high end car. Although it may be very expensive to purchase, there will not be so much high maintenance done in the beginning. Once the product gets very old within about ten years, then the high maintenance repairs will need to be done. All equipment

No. MRI uses a powerful magnet in conjunction with radio frequency waves to generate images of your internal organs and structures.

Hospitals and diagnostic centres are expected to remain the largest employers of MRI technicians. However as there is advancement in technology, smaller and portable scanners become readily available, opportunities may increase at physician’s office. Employment of MRI technicians is about to witness a growth by 28% between 2010 and 2020, largely due to the aging population’s extensive need for health care services. It is generating a huge surge of opportunities for aspirants of this unconventional career option.

As my sweaty hands lay on top of my stomach, I glanced at what seemed to be the end of the machine. The only section that was lit and in my mind, the only part of me that was safe. I had gone through this twice already, but I hadn’t made it inside the MRI machine and never thought I would.

MRI uses the body’s natural magnetic properties to formulate an image of the soft tissues. It does this by using the hydrogen atom nucleus which has a single proton and is a spinning charged particle. The human body is made up of 70% water, which is hydrogen and oxygen. Those hydrogen nuclei (protons) spin inside the body, creating their own magnetic field. They are orientated randomly and cancel each other out when no field is applied.

An MRI uses computer-generated radio waves and a strong magnetic field to produce a detailed image of the brain. “MRIs are helpful in the diagnosis of tumors, eye diseases, infections, inflammation, and damage due to head injury” (Hill 2008). When getting an MRI, you lay on a table that slides into a tube, and they use computer-generated radio waves and a very strong magnetic field to see images of the brain. This test will allow the doctor to see two and three-dimensional images of your brain.

At time of opening, turnkey operations were set up in the mobile clinic to service BCMC at full capacity. We leased and installed a 1.5-Tesla GE short-bore high-speed MRI system at the hospital’s request. The incentive of entering into this deal with BCMC was to hold 100% interest and be responsible for most of our operations and management. This was a strategic move since interest held in all of our other clinics is currently less than 20 percent.

MRI provides both anatomic and physiologic information. It is the modality of choice when cartilage, nerves, or organs are of interest. Magnetic resonance imaging does not give off any ionizing radiation. Instead, the magnetic force reacts with the hydrogen in our bodies to show the images. Because of this fact, it is the least harmful to the patient.

"The new improvements are designed to address those issues. Try to alleviate some of the fears, try to make them feel more comfortable, more in control of their environment while they're getting an MRI. They can choose their lighting, their sound, the video they watch. They can also play DVDS if we have one that they like," says MRI Team Leader Shelia Turner.

The MRI modality can be used in either a T1 or T2 scan which can help differentiate the different tissues to see the abnormalities. T1 scans show the current disease by highlighting the active inflammation that is either new or a larger form from over time. Dark images can be used to see permanent nerve damage as well. On the other hand, T2 scans show the amount of space that the lesion takes up. The myelin layer that protects the nerve cells are made up of fatty tissue which repels water. However, once that layer is destroyed from the immune system attacking itself, “the area holds more water, and shows up on an MRI scan as either a bright white spot or a darkened area depending on the type of scan that is used” (NationalMSSociety). T2 scans are the most preferred MRI images to diagnose the Multiple Sclerosis. FLAIR is a newer image technique from MRI that is being used to identify brain lesions for Multiple Sclerosis. Spinal cord imaging is also used through MRI that is useful for diagnosing MS. The stronger the magnet, the better the quality of the image will turn out. By using magnets with higher Tesla’s, the stronger image can show the lesions better for a more accurate diagnosis.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a way of medically imaging the body with the use of a magnetic field and radiofrequency waves. (1) As image quality of MRI continues to improve, more MRI exams are being ordered. Increasing MRI exams leads to increased wait times. Due to current wait lists, the health status of patients may decrease, influencing the type of treatment the patient will require once removed from the wait list. (7) The advances in technology have increased in the past decade, with MRI procedures are vastly growing to provide superior diagnostic quality compared to other modalities. New technologies are also allowing for faster scan times and further increased image quality. (9)

First week at High Point Regional Hospital was a bit nervous. I didn’t know how the technologists there would interact with me. I worked with Kim, Sonya, and Debbie. All of them seems alright to me. On Tuesday, I didn’t scan anything, I mostly observed the technologists. I helped prep the room, wiped down the table, and put on a new sheet on the table . I’ve learned that the way they scanned their lumbar spine here are different than in Lexington Medical Center. Here, when scanning lumbar, it should only cover 5 disk space, top and bottom field of view (FOV) doesn’t overlap. High Point Regional Hospital has 2 MRI machine; a Siemen Espree and the old Siemen Symphony. Lexington Medical Center has Siemen Aera (newer machine), images are

• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a diagnostic test that uses large magnets, radio frequencies, and a computer to make images of organs and structures within the body. This test outlines the extent of the tumor within the bone and joint and the relationship of the tumor to the muscles, nerves and blood vessels.

The MRI is possible in the human body because our bodies are filled with small biological ?magnets?, the most abundant and responsive of these are the protons. The principal of the MRI is that it utilizes the random distribution of protons, which have basic magnetic properties. Once the patient is placed in the cylindrical magnet, the diagnosis process follows 3 steps. First, MRI

MRI technology is a useful technique in the medical industry, there are many advantages to its use and for the most part the disadvantages of its use are minimal. They are great because they provide very detailed diagnostic pictures of most of the important organs and tissues in one’s body. They are also capable of showing unique information that other tests are unable to show. They are generally painless. Furthermore, they do not use radiation and are therefore suitable for use in children and pregnant women. Although there are many good attributes to MRI’s, there are still disadvantages to its use. For one, many people are claustrophobic and being in an MRI can become very uncomfortable for them. In addition, the MRI makes a tremendous amount of noise. Often patients are given earplugs or stereo headphones in attempt to muffle the noise.