ENT wanted contrast and MRI receptionist says no!!

[uk2]

I give up with my health system!! it is good in many ways dont get me wrong and i am blessed.

My ENT wanted me to have contrast on my MRI mainly because he wanted me to take it to the neuro hospital (which i wasnt going and now am) but when she rang today to book it a private contractor the NHS are so busy they have to have a mobile one in there grounds and i asked her after she booked it and asked all the questions that she never mentioned the contrast, she said yes i saw that on there but you dont need it?? i asked why and she said you just dont for the brain only the spine? i said my consultant wanted it done and i want it done she went away came back on and then said no you dont need it!! so i am going to kicked up by phoing the ENT tomorrow and tell him the MRI is refusing to do contrast what with that and my neuro refusing to do it as well i am thinking it must cost them alot or its more bother because i just dont get how they have the right to say no specially when the consultant says yes!!

sam

[uk2]

Hi i phoned again today and they said they are not insured to do it in the mobile scanner in the car park so i have gone back onto the hospital MRI waiting list they subcontract them out to reduce waiting times which is good, i will have my brain and Cspine without contrast that the neuro wants on the mobile scanner dont know why i have to have two but there you go i guess they are both looking for different things.

thanks for your comments

sam

[Nancy T]

Hi Mand! Thanks for the clarifications. Whatever that guy's qualifications might have been, he was clearly giving your friend bad service in not communicating well and not addressing her/your questions and concerns. I HATE that!! Even if people are having a busy or grumpy day, they still owe patients good service, which includes above all else answering questions seriously.

Nancy

[Mand125]

Nancy, when I re-read my post it certainly counded like I way saying that the technicians were "just button pushers". Sorry I worded that very badly.

What I was trying in, my inept way, to say was that we felt the person doing her scan was not even a technician, just someone to push the buttons.

He seemed to completely lack any knowledge when we questioned him about the scanner. When asked what strength it was he didn't know how to answer, just muttered "oh strong enough I imagine".

When we asked him what the difference was in the mobile scanner and the permanent one in the hospital he snapped  "wheels". He was trying to joke but I honestly didn't feel he knew the answer.

Anyway I am sincerely sorry if I appeared to be deriding technicians because that was not my intention.

Mand

[lala47]

I had my 2nd MRI done at a private MRI company.  I had contrast also, but before they could give the contrast we had to wait on the EMT's to arive.  They had to be in the room as the contrast was going in incase of allergic reaction.  I am thankful that they were there.  No reaction but the tech had a hard time finding a vein, but the EMT got it with no problem.  

Hope this was helpful!
lala

[uk2]

Hi all thanks

In the uk i think the job is not of the tec to do contrast and i think you need a Dr for this or be inside a hospital as for insurance but i am not sure, i think it comes down to money the NHS in my area are in so much trouble finance wise.

I will try and push for this but i'll see.

sam

[Nancy T]

I don't know about the UK, but I believe that in the US it's always technicians who do the scans, and they are far more than button-pushers. There is a lot involved with running the MRI machines and doing a scan properly; these people have college degrees in it.

The radiologist, on the other hand, is the MD who reads and interprets the scans--they do not perform the scans.

To see more about the MRI tech's role and training, Google "mri technician".

I think the reason ENTs want contrast is that one of the most common things they are concerned about is an acoustic neuroma, a benign tumor of the inner ear. To see the smallest tumor, they do need to use contrast.

But when looking for MS, contrast is not always necessary--I think contrast will show active lesions, but lesions in general will show up without contrast. Of the three MRIs I had done specifically to look for MS (ordered by two different neurologists), only one was done with contrast. All of them showed some lesions, though not specific for MS.

Take all this with a grain of salt, since I'm not an expert.

Still, I would think that the MRI place would follow the wishes/orders of the consultant who ordered the scan.

Good luck,

Nancy T.

[HVAC]

I get my MRIs on a mobile unit and I have had contrast every time. I would push for the contrast.
                  Alex

[Mand125]

Hi Sam

You may have seen on another post that I went with a friend to the hospiital for her MRI scan and in was done on a mobile scanner. (In the grounds in a portacabin).

Now here's something for you to think about and maybe check up on. We honestly felt that the person doing the scan was not a radiologist, but a technician, in fact just a button pusher.

If this is legal in this country then I would day with 99% certainty that this was the case. The company providing the mobile scan is a perfectly reputable company, I think that paart of their name was  "Allied".

Of course I could be wrong and if it is not legal then it wouldn't have been the case.

The point I'm making is that if they were technicians (or button pushers!) then they wouldn't be qualified to use contrast.

When we see her neuro in a few weeks we will ask him but he doesn't like being questioned about it.

Maybe you want to do some checking

Mand