Discussion of the Causes, Effect and Potential Methods of Alleviating Patient Anxiety When Undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) | ||||
| The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine | ||||
| Article 12, Volume 72, Issue 5, July 2018, Page 4473-4477 PDF (161.11 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejhm.2018.9515 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
Zyad Mansour Almutlaq 
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| King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Radiology Department | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: In performing an MRI examination the patient may feel anxious due to the nature of the MRI scan as the patient would be inserted into the narrow bore of the MRI scanner and would be asked to be immobile during the examination period for approximately 20 to 90 minutes depending on the scan type. Patient feeling anxious may also be evoked by several causes and consequently may develop into anxiety reactions by the patient either before, during, or after the scan. Aim: This paper aim to study the issues surrounding the anxiety in patients undergoing MRI examinations by identifying the prominent causes, outlining the possible effects of anxiety, discussing the main potential methods for alleviating patient's anxiety. Materials and methods: This review is conducted by using a comprehensive search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and Elsevier, August 1993, through March 2018. The following search terms were used: causes of anxiety in MRI, claustrophobia and MRI, effects of anxiety in MRI, alleviation of anxiety in MRI patient. Conclusion: Patient's anxiety can pose problems that may impede the process of the MRI examination. Patient's anxiety may have adverse effects on both patient and the healthcare institution as it can cause financial losses for the healthcare institutions. However, sedation techniques, acoustic noise reduction, and adequate patient preparation for the MRI scan are possible methods that can alleviate patient's anxiety. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| MRI; Medical Imaging; Patient Anxiety; Claustrophobia | ||||
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