Best practices for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in common large animal research models.

Magnetic resonance imaging has proven to be useful for the study of cardiovascular physiology in health and disease; it provides important data and information about healthy and diseased states in humans and animals, and it facilitates the safe characterization and positioning of medical devices during cardiovascular applications. Looking to the future, magnetic resonance imaging will continue to play a formative role in biomedical research and applications. Here, we discuss how to avoid common pitfalls and provide safe transport, anesthetic support and physiologic support for animals that are used in dedicated or shared cardiovascular imaging facilities.