A new path to prevent deadly MRI accidents
Following a horrific accident last year in which a young patient was killed, the American College of Radiology has issued new safety recommendations for the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.
Many of the new recommendations include restricting access to MRI rooms. Others include appointing a special director of hospital MRI facilities and educating emergency personnel and others who might work near or in an MRI department about safety (American Journal of Roentgenology 2002; 178:1,335-1,347).
Why new guidelines?
The guidelines were issued partly in response to an accident in July 2001 in which a metal oxygen canister that was mistakenly taken into an MRI examination room by a non-MRI staff member killed a 6-year-old boy. The MRI’s powerful magnet drew the canister to the boy’s head. The accident happened at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY.
Emanuel Kanal, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh, was the lead author of the guidelines. His team recommends restructuring the MRI department environment so that MRI departments be divided into four zones. The zones would include a patient waiting room (Zone 1), a patient changing/holding area (Zone 2), a control room (Zone 3), and the MRI room (Zone 4). Access to Zone 3 and 4 would be restricted to trained MRI personnel.
Also, the team says that each facility should appoint an MRI director to oversee all aspects of safety and write reports about accidents, or near-accidents. The report also suggests that hospitals implement a comprehensive MRI safety education campaign for emergency personnel such as firefighters and police, as well as hospital maintenance and janitorial workers.
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