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Magnetic Resonance Procedures

Health Effects and Safety

Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada

Edited by Frank G. Shellock. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 453 pp., 2001. $79.95

If you would like to review books for AJR, please send a cover letter stating your interest with a current curriculum vitae to Assistant Editor for Book Reviews, AJR, 101 S. Stratford Rd., Ste. 303, Winston-Salem, NC 27104.

This large volume is an extensive resource of practical and theoretic information on health effects, safety, and patient management issues in MR imaging. The editor has assembled a large international cast of experts who have contributed 16 chapters on almost every aspect of this subject. Although much of the material is available in other books or in the scientific literature, this is the largest and most exhaustive compendium available in a single volume. The editor, Frank Shellock, has devoted much of his career to investigations of MR imaging safety and related issues and has contributed to several of the chapters in this book. All chapters are comprehensively referenced.

Overall, Magnetic Resonance Procedures: Health Effects and Safety achieves its goal, dealing thoroughly with almost all aspects of MR safety. As might be expected with multiple authors and diverse topics, the individual chapters vary significantly in the depth and breadth of their coverage. In general, the chapters attempt to give a feeling for the principles and underlying theoretic issues associated with any potential hazard, then follow up with practical approaches, including measurements for assessing risks. Some chapters achieve this goal extremely well, notably chapter 1 on "Health Effects and Safety of Static Magnetic Fields," chapter 6 on "Acoustic Noise and Magnetic Resonance Procedures," and chapter 12 on "Safety of Magnetic Resonance Contrast Agents." Other chapters, such as chapter 2, "Health Effects and Safety of Intense Gradient Fields," even include some new and previously unpublished information, although this material probably does not change the recommendations and conclusions of the chapter. In some cases, such as in chapter 5, "Specific Absorption Rates and Induced Current Density Distributions for Radiofrequency and Gradient Magnetic Fields Used for Magnetic Resonance Procedures," the material is less focused, leaving the reader to make the comparisons and draw conclusions.

In general, the book takes a cautious approach to the health effects of MR imaging and often makes recommendations for avenues of further investigation. I believe this approach is probably prudent, given the rapid evolution of technology in MR imaging, although some current developments will likely relax present concerns; for example, quieter gradient technology may reduce requirements to protect against acoustic noise.

Despite the international cast of authors, a strong American influence is seen in some chapters, particularly in chapter 9. That chapter reviews the evolution of the Food and Drug Administration regulations and guidelines for MR imaging, but the subject is of general interest because it illustrates the evolution of approaches to MR safety. Chapter 8, "Magnetic Resonance Procedures and Pregnancy," takes a clinical approach with many illustrative images but reflects the United States health care pattern in its recommendations. Both of these chapters, and the book as a whole, succeed overall in presenting a perspective on how MR safety has developed through the past two decades and anticipating how MR technology and related safety issues will likely continue to evolve.

Magnetic Resonance Procedures: Health Effects and Safety is an extremely useful book, combining both a reference volume and a practical, day-to-day guide for MR operations. It consolidates most of our current knowledge of MR imaging safety into one volume, and it warrants a place on the bookshelf of every MR imaging facility, especially those with teaching responsibilities.

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This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bronskill, M. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Bronskill, M. J. Social Bookmarking                      What's this? Hotlight (NEW!) What's Hotlight?