Not everyone needs an injection for MR imaging. When an injection is needed, a pharmaceutical contrast agent called Gadolinium is administered to the patient. This is only done when the radiologist and/or the referring physician have determined that it is necessary for diagnostic purposes. Gadolinium contrast is used to make specific organs, blood vessels or tissue types "stand out" with more image contrast in the resulting picture.

Not everyone needs an injection for CT imaging. When an contrast injection is needed, a pharmaceutical contrast agent made of iodine is used. This is only done when the radiologist and/or the referring physician have determined that it is necessary for diagnostic purposes. Iodine contrast is used to make specific organs, blood vessels or tissue types "stand out" with more image contrast in the resulting picture.

Patients are instructed to wait at least 48 hours after injection of MRI contrast before resuming breast-feeding. Patients may wish to breast pump their milk and store for use during this waiting period.

Depending on the exam ordered by you physician and the questions your doctor has, your may be required to have contrast/dye administered by vein. This would be performed by one of our experienced nurses.

MRI is an acronym: M (Magnetic) R (Resonance) I (Imaging). This technology is obtained by using a high magnetic field and radio waves. Instead of relying on x-rays, like other imaging technologies do, MRI uses a powerful magnet. Some are approximately 30,000 times stronger than the magnetic force of the earth. During an exam, the patient lies inside the opening (the bore) of the magnet.

The contrast is injected into a vein using a small needle during a specific period in the CT exam. The contrast circulates the blood stream, through the heart and arteries, capillaries and veins, to essentially “enhance” the tissue structure of your organs so they appear highlighted on the CT images for a more precise diagnosis.

Sometimes MRIs require a contrast injection placed through an IV in your arm. MRI systems do not use ionizing radiation, and the contrast material enhances the MRI images and has a very low incidence of side effects.

We recommend that patients wait for 24 hours after receiving the Gadolinium injection, before resuming breast feeding. Patients may wish to pump breast milk prior to the exam, and store it for use during this one day period. You may wish to discuss this further with your doctor, or the radiologist.

Absolutely. We use “non-ionic” contrast, which has a much lower incidence of allergic reaction than the older “ionic” contrast.

The most common side effect is a warm sensation during the injection and a "metallic" taste in the mouth. These are only passing sensations and usually last less than a minute or so. For some patients, itching or hives (bumps on the skin) may occur and can last from several minutes to several hours after the injection. This can be treated with medication at the time of the exam or after by the referring physician.

Depending on the study your physician has ordered, it may be necessary for you to receive an intravenous contrast injection. For CT, the contrast material is iodine based while a gadolinium based chelate is used as the contrast agent in MRI scans. While generally safe and effective, the iodinated contrast agents rarely can cause reactions in certain individuals with a history of allergies, asthma, renal disease, heart disease, diabetes and other medical conditions.

Yes. The contrast takes 24 to 48 hours to completely filter out of your body. We advise patients to drink lots of water to help this process. If you are a Diabetic taking Glucophage or Metformin, you may take your medication before your exam as usual. However, you must stop taking your medication for 48 hours after your CT scan.

Intravenous contrast material is often, but not always, used in today's CT and MRI studies to help with diagnosis. An iodine based material is used for CT and gadolinium is used for MRI. The purpose is to “enhance” the tissues and organs of the body in such a way as to make them better stand out from each other, and to allow better visualization of abnormal areas within normal areas. This ability to differentiate normal from abnormal is important to make the correct diagnosis.

MRI of the brain is useful for determining the type of DI and may also reveal the cause if the DI is either central or dipsogenic DI. If the initial MRI does not show the cause of CDI or dipsogenic DI, a repeat MRI in 6 to 12 months is a good idea. After that, additional repeats rarely provide any more information of any clinical value.

Because small amounts of X-ray and MRI contrast media excreted in breast-milk, breast-feeding should be avoided for 24 hours.

Gadolinium MRI contrast media has been approved for use since the late 1980's and has been extremely well tolerated by the patients all over the world. Severe anaphylactoid reactions to this agent are extremely rare and occur with a much lower frequency than is observed with iodinated contrast material.

While an MRI scan has no known side effects, it is not recommended for pregnant women unless it is medically indicated. If you are pregnant or think you might be, please tell your doctor before scheduling your exam. It is safe to have an MRI while breast feeding however if you are breast feeding and are going to have a gad injection, it is recommended you wait 48hrs after the injection before beginning to breast feed again.

If your exam does require the use of the injection, a small needle is inserted into a vein in your arm. We let some normal saline drip into the vein first. This is to keep access open to the vein during the MRI exam. About two-thirds of the way through the exam, we will inject a contrast agent called "gadolinium." This material is only used for MRI. You may feel a cool sensation going up your arm.