Re: MRI and gadolinium

[brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>]

At 22:38 8/18/98 -0500, you wrote:
> I went to an orthopedic surgeon today about chronic back pain and as 
> expected he ordered an MRI of my spine. However, unlike other MRI's I 
> have had ordered, he specifically wrote with gadolinium on the Rx form. I 
> didn't think to ask him about it and got curious on the drive back home. 
> Since the appt isn't for another week, I am curious to know about the 
> gadolinium. Is it something specifically  added to the magnet, or around 
> my spine or????  I don't think it would be an injection.
> ...
> Patti Mason
> pmason@wvec.k12.in.us
The excellent reference referring to a UFlorida online lecture effort
mentioned by Bob Sciamanda, mentions ( if you have enough patience) that
Gadolinium
compounds are used as opacification agents or "contrast agents" in MR imaging.
 Depending on the target organ, they may be injected.
(As a Canadian surgeon proactising here confided to me - there is a U.S
love affair with injections - where a broad band antibiotic might elsewhere
be administered in oral form, here it is de rigeur to provide it
intra-muscularly.
Patients essentially demand it. The therapeutic effects begin, after all,
in 3 minutes, rather than 30 minutes.
 The sharp however, has to be charged for and disposed of...)

Sincerely
Brian Whatcott    Altus OK