⚠️

MRI Safety Protocols for Level 1 Personnel

Sep 14, 2024

MRI Safety Video Notes - Level 1 Personnel

Introduction

  • Presenter: Jeremy Corwin, Medical Physicist at Core One Health Physics
  • Focus: MRI safety protocols for level one personnel
  • Based on: ACR manual on MRI safety (2020) and ACR guidance document on MR safe practices (2019)

MRI Safety Policies

  • Importance of maintaining and reviewing MRI safety policies in facilities
  • Level 1 personnel: basic knowledge of MRI hazards, can ensure personal safety in Zone 3 but cannot access Zone 4
  • Level 2 personnel: extensively trained, can access Zone 4, screen and scan patients (typically MRI technologists and radiologists)

MRI System Overview

  • MRI systems: large, powerful magnets (1.5 to 3 tesla)
  • Always on; unlike x-ray or CT systems that only activate during imaging
  • Magnetic field can exceed room boundaries, creating safety concerns

MRI Zones

  1. Zone 1: General public area
  2. Zone 2: Screening area for the public, populated by untrained staff
  3. Zone 3: Restricted area with potential hazards; requires training to enter
  4. Zone 4: Scanner room, most hazardous area; requires Level 2 personnel for access
    • Technologists must monitor access to Zone 4
    • Level 1 personnel must be screened before entering Zone 4

Safety Concerns

  • Primary concern: Magnetic field attracting ferromagnetic objects
  • Potential effects on people: flashes of light, vertigo, metallic taste
  • Importance of preventing ferromagnetic objects from entering the MRI suite
  • Serious consequences of ferromagnetic items entering the MRI room
    • Can cause injuries and damage to the MRI system

Item Classifications

  1. MRI Safe: Safe under any conditions
  2. Unsafe: Known hazards in all MRI environments
  3. MR Conditional: Safe under specific conditions; documentation must be reviewed
    • Example: Item safe in 1.5T but not in 3T

Screening Protocols

  • All staff and patients must be screened before entering the MRI room
  • MRI screening questionnaire required for patients; staff should complete annually
  • Screening includes checking for:
    • Ferromagnetic objects
    • Devices/implants that may be disrupted
    • Metallic tattoos
    • Risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF)

Emergency Procedures

  • Emergency quench button to turn off the magnet
    • Only for emergencies (e.g., someone pinned against the magnet)
    • Quenching is expensive and time-consuming

Pregnant Workers

  • No documented adverse health effects for pregnant workers in the MRI environment
  • Recommendation: Avoid scan room during acquisitions due to noise

MRI Safety Program

  • Facilities must have a documented MRI safety program
  • MRI Medical Director and MRI Safety Officer (MRSO) responsible for safety
  • Contact details for safety individuals should be known

Conclusion

  • Importance of awareness and adherence to MRI safety protocols
  • Contact information for questions: [Jeremy Corwin's contact]

Note: This is a high-level summary and reference document. Further details may be needed for comprehensive understanding.

Full transcript