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Claustrophobia and premature termination of magnetic resonance imaging examinations
Iris Eshed1, Christian E Althoff, Bernd Hamm
1Department of Radiology, Charité Medical School, Berlin, Germany.
Purpose:
To evaluate the incidence of MRI-related claustrophobia and prematurely terminated MRI (ptMRI) examinations due to claustrophobia in a large-scale cohort study.
Materials And Methods:
The hospital's computerized radiology information system (RIS) was retrospectively analyzed for all 1.5-Tesla MRI examinations and reports during the year 2004. Data collected included demographic information, body part examined, known claustrophobia, and whether the examination was prematurely terminated. All information available on the MRI examinations and the patient-based data (i.e., excluding any additional examinations per patient) were analyzed.
Results:
A total of 5798 MRI reports of 4821 patients were evaluated. A total of 95 patients (1.97%) suffered from claustrophobia and 59 (1.22%) prematurely terminated the examination due to claustrophobia. The incidence of ptMRI was higher in women than men (no statistical significance). The majority of patients with ptMRI were between 20 and 80 years old. Patients undergoing head MRI showed the highest incidence of ptMRI and those undergoing extremity, breast, or pelvic MRI had the lowest. Prone compared to supine positioning results in the lowest ptMRI incidence (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
Claustrophobic reactions cause a relatively low incidence of ptMRI and are influenced by sex, body part examined, and positioning within the MR scanner. Sedation and prone positioning might help overcome these reactions.
Insights
Claustrophobia in MRI scans is uncommon, affecting 1.97% of patients, with 1.22% experiencing prematurely terminated MRI (ptMRI) exams. Factors like patient sex, body part scanned, and positioning influence ptMRI rates.
Area of Science:
- Radiology and Medical Imaging
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Patient Experience in Medical Procedures
Background:
- Claustrophobia is a common fear impacting patient compliance in enclosed spaces.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) requires patients to lie within a confined scanner, potentially triggering claustrophobic reactions.
- Understanding the incidence and predictors of claustrophobia-induced MRI termination is crucial for improving patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of claustrophobia and claustrophobia-related prematurely terminated MRI (ptMRI) examinations.
- To analyze demographic and procedural factors associated with ptMRI in a large patient cohort.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 5798 MRI reports from 4821 patients in 2004.
- Data extraction included patient demographics, body part examined, history of claustrophobia, and examination termination status.
- Statistical analysis focused on identifying factors influencing ptMRI incidence.
Main Results:
- The incidence of claustrophobia was 1.97% (95 patients), and ptMRI due to claustrophobia was 1.22% (59 patients).
- ptMRI incidence was higher in women than men, though not statistically significant.
- Head MRI examinations showed the highest ptMRI rates, while extremity, breast, and pelvic MRIs had the lowest.
- Prone positioning was associated with a significantly lower ptMRI incidence compared to supine positioning (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Claustrophobic reactions lead to a low but significant rate of ptMRI.
- Patient sex, the body part being scanned, and scanner positioning are key factors influencing claustrophobia-related ptMRI.
- Strategies like sedation and prone positioning may mitigate claustrophobic reactions during MRI examinations.
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