Electrical Noise in the Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging Setting

Abstract

The EN generated by our anesthesia patient monitor is within acceptable limits for the iMRI system. The iMRI generates EN which renders the ECG unreadable in the most commonly used filter mode. The monitor's filters diminish this noise but also alter the morphology of the ECG waveform. The anesthesiologist must be cognizant of these technical compromises and recognize that adjusting the ECG filters on the monitor is required to obtain a useful ECG signal for patient monitoring during the iMRI scan but that the diagnostic value of the ECG will be reduced.