Cerebral (aneurysm) clips are at first contraindicated for MRI examinations unless specifically approved.
Other type of clips: Examinations may be done a few weeks after an operation. Movement of clips or staples placed in a body cavity can present a hazard, but this is often reduced due to the formation of fibrosis around the clips.

The principal contraindications of the MRI procedure are mostly related to the presence of metallic implants in a patient. The risks of MRI scans increase with the used field strength. In general, implants are becoming increasingly MR safe and an individual evaluation is carried out for each case.

Some patients should not be examined in MRI machines, or come closer than the 5 Gauss line to the system.

Absolute Contraindications for the MRI scan:
Patients with absolute contraindications should not be examined or only with special MRI safety precautions. Patients with an implanted cardiac pacemaker have been scanned on rare occasions, but pacemakers are generally considered an absolute contraindication. Relative contraindications may pose a relative hazard, and the type and location of an implant should be assessed prior to the MRI examination.

Relative Contraindications for the MRI scan:
Osteosynthesis material is usually anchored so well in the patients that no untoward effect will result. Another effect on metal parts in the patient's body is the heating of these parts through induction. In addition, image quality may be severely degraded. The presence of other metallic implants such as surgical clips etc. should be made known to the MRI operators. Most of these materials are non-magnetic, but if magnetic, they can pose a hazard.

See also MRI safety, Pregnancy, Claustrophobia and Tattoos.

The element helium (He) was discovered 1868 when P.J.C. Janssen and N. Lockyer detected a new line in the solar spectrum during the solar eclipse. Lockyer and E. Frankland suggested the name helium (Gr. Helios, the sun) for the new element. In 1895, helium was discovered in the uranium mineral cleveite and in 1907 it was found out that alpha particles are helium nuclei.
Properties: Helium belongs to the noble gases, is colorless, odorless, and occurs in two naturally isotopes, helium 3 and helium 4. As an inert gas, helium does not react chemically largely and don't burns. Helium 4 makes up over 99% of naturally occurring helium atoms. Helium is extracted from natural gas e.g. present in various radioactive minerals as a decay product. Deposits and sources are in the USA, Poland, the USSR, and a few in India. The rare deposits and increased consumption lead to a shortage of this gas.
K. Onnes worked for many years to liquefy helium, which persisted as a gas to the lowest temperature. Helium does not freeze at atmospheric pressure. The density of helium vapor at his boiling point of 4.2 Kelvin is very high, with the vapor expanding greatly when heated to room temperature. Nb, Tc, Pb, La, V, and Ta are superconductors at liquid helium temperature. Liquid helium is commonly used as a cryogen for superconducting magnets. A rapid evaporation of the cryogen is named Quench. See also Quenching.

Cryogenic liquids and their associated cold vapors can produce effects on the skin similar to a thermal burn and can cause frostbite. Prolonged breathing of extremely cold gases may damage the lungs and in absence of enough air or oxygen, asphyxiation and death can occur. Unprotected skin can stick to very cold metal (e.g. cooled by liquid helium) and then tear when pulled away.

Implants that involve magnets such as magnetic sphincters, stoma plugs, dental implants, etc., can be demagnetized by the MRI device. They should be removed prior to the examination.

A particular danger is presented by small metallic surgical implants. Haemostatic or other clips in the CNS can move in their position. Dislocation by magnetic attraction or torque presents a risk in MRI examinations. There is a minimal risk in other parts of the body, because after the healing phase of six to eight weeks, fibrosis and encasement of the clip help to keep it in a stable position.
The label stainless steel is not a guarantee for non-ferromagnetic steel.

See also Cardiac Pacemaker and MRI Safety.

There are different types of contraindications that would prevent a person from being examined with an MRI scanner. MRI systems use strong magnetic fields that attract any ferromagnetic objects with enormous force. Caused by the potential risk of heating, produced from the radio frequency pulses during the MRI procedure, metallic objects like wires, foreign bodies and other implants needs to be checked for compatibility. High field MRI requires particular safety precautions. In addition, any device or MRI equipment that enters the magnet room has to be MR compatible. MRI examinations are safe and harmless, if these MRI risks are observed and regulations are followed.

Safety concerns in magnetic resonance imaging include:

It is important to remember when working around a superconducting magnet that the magnetic field is always on. Under usual working conditions the field is never turned off. Attention must be paid to keep all ferromagnetic items at an adequate distance from the magnet. Ferromagnetic objects which came accidentally under the influence of these strong magnets can injure or kill individuals in or nearby the magnet, or can seriously damage every hardware, the magnet itself, the cooling system, etc.. See MRI resources Accidents.
The doors leading to a magnet room should be closed at all times except when entering or exiting the room. Every person working in or entering the magnet room or adjacent rooms with a magnetic field has to be instructed about the dangers. This should include the patient, intensive-care staff, and maintenance-, service- and cleaning personnel, etc..
The 5 Gauss limit defines the 'safe' level of static magnetic field exposure. The value of the absorbed dose is fixed by the authorities to avoid heating of the patient's tissue and is defined by the specific absorption rate. Leads or wires that are used in the magnet bore during imaging procedures, should not form large-radius wire loops. Leg-to-leg and leg-to-arm skin contact should be prevented in order to avoid the risk of burning due to the generation of high current loops if the legs or arms are allowed to touch. The patient's skin should not be in contact with the inner bore of the magnet.
The outflow from cryogens like liquid helium is improbable during normal operation and not a real danger for patients.
The safety of MRI contrast agents is tested in drug trials and they have a high compatibility with very few side effects. The variations of the side effects and possible contraindications are similar to X-ray contrast medium, but very rare. In general, an adverse reaction increases with the quantity of the MRI contrast medium and also with the osmolarity of the compound.

See also 5 Gauss Fringe Field, 5 Gauss Line, Cardiac Risks, Cardiac Stent, dB/dt, Legal Requirements, Low Field MRI, Magnetohydrodynamic Effect, MR Compatibility, MR Guided Interventions, Claustrophobia, MRI Risks and Shielding.