HOW WELL IS YOUR PATIENT PREPARED FOR AN MRI - AN INSIDERS PERSPECTIVE

Often patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for diagnos tic purposes are not adequately prepared to deal with the claustrophob ia commonly experienced while in the MRI machine. They may have been i nstructed on the procedure and some of the physical sensations they mi ght encounter, but teaching about coping strategies to utilize when co nfronted with the occurrence of unanticipated claustrophobia when a se dating medication is not immediately available may often be lacking. D rawing on excerpts from a patient's journal that vividly describes her struggle to cope with claustrophobia during an MRI, this article disc usses this commonly encountered experience within the context of theor etical perspectives of stress to underscore the importance of assessin g for indications of rising anxiety. Suggestions for coping strategies to include in patient teaching are presented.