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Summary of the Day

Anesthesia for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

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Question of the Day

A 58-year-old, 130-kg woman with neck pain requires magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of her cervical spine. Which of the following is a contraindication for MRI in this patient?

Question of the Day
A 58-year-old, 130-kg woman with neck pain requires magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of her cervical spine. Which of the following is a contraindication for MRI in this patient?
Your Answer
Correct Answer

Explanation

Safety during MRI is of utmost importance. Preoperative evaluation with attention to possible contraindications to MRI should focus on the presence of pacemakers, implanted cardioverter-defibrillators, cochlear implants, nerve stimulators, ferrous clips, metal fragments, or bullet fragments. These objects can lead to heating and movement within the body during MRI. Some newer nonferrous vascular clips, staples, orthopedic implants, and heart valves are not contraindicated for MRI. Patients with claustrophobia or those who are morbidly obese may have difficulty tolerating MRI awake and thus require sedation or general anesthesia in order to complete the MRI study. Metal jewelry, permanent makeup and tattoos may interfere with MRI imaging quality due to an interaction with the metallic component of some of the pigments.

References:

Henrichs B, Walsh RP. Intraoperative MRI for neurosurgical and general surgical interventions. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2014;27(4):448-452. doi:10.1097/ACO.0000000000000095 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Safety

Gross WL and Weiss MS. Non-Operating Room Anesthesia. In: Miller RD, Eriksson LI, Fleisher L, Wiener-Kronish JP, Cohen NH. Miller's Anesthesia, 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2014: Ch. 90.

OA Series: July 2025

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APSF Podcast

OpenAnesthesia and the APSF: Achieving Safe and Quality Anesthesia Care with Education Innovation

Allison Bechtel, MD, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

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play-icon-2 14:43

PAINTS

Medical Safety Principles

Megan Nash, DO, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, Tyler P. Morrissey, MD, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO

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PAINTS

Psychological Safety at Work

Joseph M. Sisk, MD, FAAP, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC