Patients' experiences in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and their experiences of breath holding techniques

Abstract

Magnetic resonance examination can be experienced as being in loss of control. Nevertheless, not all patients wished to actively participate in magnetic resonance examination. Some preferred to hand over the responsibility to the radiographer. These results can form a base for radiographers' reflections of how to individualize and optimize the nursing care of patients undergoing magnetic resonance examinations.

Patient-initiated breath-holds in MRI: an alternative for reducing respiratory artifacts and improving image quality

“…This suggests that clinical praxis could be adjusted to allow the patient to choose their preferred breath-hold technique as an option. When patients chose between the two breath-hold methods, there was a slight majority preferring the new method, to decide when the breath should be initiated and proposed in this study [10]. The new breath-hold approach used in this study was applied during a liver examination which requires fewer breath-hold acquisitions compared to other MR protocols, such as a cardiac MRI.…”

“…c l i n i c a l i m a g i n g . o r g while a little more than one fifth of the patients preferred the conventional operator instructed technique [10,11]. There are, regarding the second question and to the best of our knowledge, no earlier studies which have investigated and compared image quality in MRI achieved from two different breath-hold techniques, one of which includes active patient participation.…”

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Myocardial Deformation and Scarring in Coronary Artery Disease.

“…One important mechanism is the experience of losing control [118,119]. Patients can gain a feeling of control when they are allowed to decide when to hold their breath.…”

“…Patients can gain a feeling of control when they are allowed to decide when to hold their breath. In one study, almost half of the patients preferred self-determination in breath holding [119]. In held-breath acquisitions, the effectiveness increases when patients, both children and adults, receive visual feedback on their breathing pattern [120].…”

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Heart : Image quality, measurement accuracy and patient experience

“…To protect patient hearing, ear muffs that enable instruction and communication between the staff and the patient via intercom are used [37]. The loud noise, an experience of losing control, and the duration of the examination contribute to the feeling of anxiety [93,94], as well as fear of pain, the "unknown" and worry about the result [88,95]. In addition to the circumstances mentioned above, CMR examinations are time-consuming and may last for 45-60 min.…”