After checking the Medrad website--www.medrad.com
They make 2 power injectors for MRI--Spectris Solaris and Spectris Solaris EP. Both list on their brochures, which you can download from the website, "pressure factory set not to exceed 325 psi".
This means that the user cannot go in and manually change the psi setting. However, the psi of the injection depends on many things--the type of contrast used, some are more viscous and therefore need a higher psi to inject, the temperature of the contrast, room temp or warmer lowers the viscosity, the IV site, if it is a new site it will take less psi to inject at the rate set, a PICC line will require more, the rate.
Bard power PICCs are approved to 5 mL/second. If the power injector is set to deliver 5mL/second or less, you should not have a problem, if the line is patent. However, should is not never. The tech or nurse should still manually flush the line to determine patency PRIOR to hooking up the power injector. Then, monitor the patient and the line during and after the injection. Defects in materials, among other things, can cause a line that should be fine to rupture. There are no guarentees in medicine, as you well know.
I would recommend using the least viscous contrast on the market, warming it to body temperature and not injecting at rates greater than 5 mL/second for the best outcomes. Most MRI scans can be done with an injection of 1-2 mL/second, so this should not be an issue.
Chris Cavanaugh, CRNI
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lawler, Maureen C." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Monday, July 31, 2006 9:14 am
Subject: MRI/Power PICC
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> We routinely do CT power injection. The question has arisen re
> MRI power
> injector. Our MRI group uses an injector made by MEDRAD. I'm told
> that it can
> reach 350 psi but it is set much lower. The MRI manager states
> that "MEDRAD
> power injectors are internally programmed to deliver 350 psi and
> that parameter
> cannot be changed even though we routinely inject at much lower
> rates. Psi can
> vary!
dependin
