Starting Intravenous Lines Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and MRA is rapidly increasing in popularity and creating new skill requirements for MR technologists. For MR Angiography, as well as MR of the liver, breast, and other a pplications it is increasingly necessary to inject gadolinium contrast agents dynamically during scanning while the patient is inside the magnet. This requires starting an intravenous line and attaching a long length oftubing that reaches outside the magnet. It is important to point out that starting an iv is an art-form which is learned with experience accumulated after perf orming hundreds of iv¶s. Some patients are easy but many are difficult. Preparation: An ounce of prevention Before even getting started with the iv, first accumulate all the necessar y supplies. You will need: yAbsorbent disposable sheet (chuck or to wel) y2 alcohol wipes yTourniquet yangio catheteryiv tubing (SmartSet) y30cc syringe filled with 30cc normal saline y4 pieces of tape (preferably paper tape or easy to remo ve tape which has been precut to approximately 4 inches (10cm) in length and taped conveniently to the table or stretcher. yRubber gloves yGauze (several pieces of4x4 or2x2) Setting Up:Introduce yourself "Hello, I am ________. I will be starting the iv for your MRexamination. Have you ever had an iv before?" When you introduce yourself, it is important to ask if the patient has had an iv before so you will know how much of the procedure needs to be explained to them. It is also useful to ask how much difficulty there has been in starting iv¶s in the past and if there
