This handbook is designed to be a resource for all radiologists and technologists looking for straightforward, expert guidance on the bioeffects of magnetic resonance imaging and the safety and patient management issues that arise before and during MRI examinations. The text begins with a thorough description of the bioeffects of static, gradient, and RF electromagnetic fields. It then discusses the use of MRI during pregnancy, the risks associated with acoustic noise, and the management of patients with claustrophobia, anxiety, or emotional distress. Other chapters cover sedation and anaesthesia during MRI; physiological monitoring; safety of MRI contrast agents; patient screening before MRI; and proper procedures for patients with metallic implants, materials, and objects, or electrically, magnetically, or mechanically activated implants. The appendices outline current SMRI and FDA safety recommendations; list MRI tested implants, materials, and objects; and provide examples of patient screening forms.
Frank G. Shellock, Ph.D. is a physiologist with more than 25 years of experience conducting laboratory and clinical investigations in the field of MRI. He is an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Radiology and Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, University of Southern California, and the Founder of the Institute for Magnetic Resonance Safety, Education, and Research (IMRSER.org). As a commitment to the field of MRI safety, he created and maintains the internationally popular web site, MRIsafety.com.
Dr. Shellock has authored or co-authored more than 220 publications in the peer-reviewed literature. His medical textbooks (Reference Manual for Magnetic Resonance Safety, Implants and Devices; Magnetic Resonance Procedures: Health Effects and Safety; and Kinematic MRI of the Joints: Functional Anatomy, Kinesiology, and Clinical Applications are considered best sellers.
