Which method would decrease patient heating during an MRI examination?

The method that would effectively decrease patient heating during an MRI examination is to decrease the RF (radiofrequency) power applied. When the RF power is reduced, it minimizes the energy absorbed by the patient’s body during the imaging process. This is significant because excessive RF energy deposition can lead to thermal effects, resulting in patient discomfort or harm.

In MRI, the RF pulse sequence is responsible for causing the protons in the body to resonate, which ultimately leads to the creation of images. A lower RF power reduces the amount of energy transferred to the tissue, thereby decreasing the likelihood of heating. While flip angles do play a role in the image quality and resonance effects, the direct correlation with heating is much more substantial through RF power adjustments.

Cooling strategies can be important, but manipulating other factors like the number of slices or echo train length generally does not significantly impact thermal issues. Instead, focusing on the RF power specifically targets the primary cause of heating and can provide a safer environment for the patient during an MRI examination.