Walker Melinda, Fultz Allison, Davies Claire, Brockopp Dorothy
Radiol Technol. 2020 Mar;91(4):316-323.
To examine the symptoms magnetic resonace (MR) technologists experience from exposure to the static magnetic field (SMF) surrounding MR imaging scanners.
MR imaging technologists completed an investigator-designed questionnaire that captured personal and professional demographics, symptoms related to exposure to SMFs, and other information. The authors distributed the questionnaire using an MR imaging safety group on Facebook and used the data to generate descriptive statistics. They performed tests and a thematic analysis for open-ended questions.
A total of 408 MR imaging technologists from multiple countries responded to the questionnaire. Seventy-eight percent of participants experienced undesirable symptoms related to SMF exposure. Dizziness, vertigo, visual disturbances, nystagmus, and metallic taste were the most frequently reported symptoms. Dizziness severity was greater among technologists who worked with very high and ultra-high field strength compared to those who worked with low-field and high-field strengths.
Similar to previous research, dizziness was the most frequently reported symptom. However, participants identified symptoms that had not been reported previously, such as radiculopathy (pain, weakness, and numbness) and dropping things. In addition, the results of the study revealed that the educational paths technologists took to work with MR scanners was not consistent across settings.
Future research using a larger sample size and a wider range of symptoms is needed to better understand the occupational hazard potential inherent in MR imaging.
研究磁共振成像（MR）技术人员因暴露于MR成像扫描仪周围的静磁场（SMF）而出现的症状。
MR成像技术人员完成了一份由研究人员设计的问卷，该问卷收集了个人和职业人口统计学信息、与暴露于SMF相关的症状以及其他信息。作者通过脸书上的一个MR成像安全小组分发问卷，并利用这些数据进行描述性统计。他们对开放式问题进行了测试和主题分析。
来自多个国家的408名MR成像技术人员回复了问卷。78%的参与者经历了与SMF暴露相关的不良症状。头晕、眩晕、视觉障碍、眼球震颤和金属味是最常报告的症状。与低场和高场强工作的技术人员相比，在非常高和超高场强工作的技术人员头晕严重程度更高。
与先前的研究类似，头晕是最常报告的症状。然而，参与者识别出了先前未报告的症状，如神经根病（疼痛、无力和麻木）和物品掉落。此外，研究结果显示，技术人员从事MR扫描仪工作的教育途径在不同机构并不一致。
需要未来采用更大样本量和更广泛症状范围的研究，以更好地了解MR成像中固有的职业危害可能性。
