Their findings increase the "level of evidence on a positive risk-benefit ratio of MRI in carriers of conventional pacemakers or defibrillators," wrote study co-author Dr. Giovanni Di Leo, a radiologist at IRCCS Policlinico San Donato in Milan, in an email to AuntMinnie.com. "These patients may safely undergo MRI under controlled conditions."
Di Leo and colleagues reviewed approximately 50 studies from Medline and Embase that met the inclusion criteria regarding MRI safety in ICED carriers. The studies included more than 6,200 exams of approximately 5,400 patients. The research also covered nonconditional, conditional, and mixed MRI ICEDs, and magnet strengths ranged from 0.2 tesla to 3 tesla.
Five papers reported a total of 19 adverse events, while 20 cited technical adverse events, such as power-on reset and battery voltage reduction.
Given the number of MRI exams and number of patients with ICEDs in the meta-analysis, a very low rate of clinically relevant adverse events was reported, according to the researchers.
"The risk-benefit ratio is largely positive, also for nonconditional ICED," they wrote in their abstract. "Patients carrying [an] ICED should not be denied thoracic or nonthoracic MRI a priori, [including] patients with nonconditional devices. MRI may be performed safely under controlled conditions."
