MRI Safety Checklist

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a procedure that allows doctors to view internal tissues and organs. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), "The magnetic field forces hydrogen atoms in the body to line up in a certain way . . . radio waves are sent toward the lined-up hydrogen atoms, they bounce back, and a computer records the signal. Different types of tissues send back different signals."

Facility Checklist

• Each MRI facility should have an MRI safety procedure manual and checklist. Facilities are responsible for ensuring that no personnel, patients, visitors or emergency responders enter an MRI area with ferrous metallic objects.

  Warning signs and labels should be used on all entrances to areas that are affected by the magnetic field. Portable objects in the MRI suite need one of three labels the Food and Drug Administration created. The green and white square with "MR" on it is for completely non-metal objects. The yellow and black triangle with "MR" on it is used on objects that may be allowed under certain conditions. The "MR" with a red circle around it and line crossing it are for objects that cannot be in the MRI area under any circumstance.

  Facilities need to provide an in-depth questionnaire to patients about items that might be unsafe in the MRI area, but a face-to-face interview to ask further questions may also be necessary.

Personnel Checklist

• Personnel who work in the MRI suite should all have had MRI safety training. One employee should screen that any person entering the active MRI is free of potentially hazardous materials. Even other MRI suite employees should be screened. Even something as small as a paperclip can cause damage.

  This employee should perform a visual inspection and, if necessary, a physical examination of all individuals before they enter the area. According to the American College of Radiology (ACR), a strong, handheld magnet should be used to examine questionable objects. All individuals should be asked about implants or jewelry. This employee should also discuss emergency exit routes with everyone who enters the MRI area.

  Periodic reviews of this checklist and any other safety concerns should be performed at least annually.

Patient Checklist

• The ACR states that patients should remove all of the following items, which may contain metal: jewelry, hair accessories, dentures, partial dentures, hearing aids, glasses, body piercings and all personal items (keys, credit cards, cell phone, etc.).

  The ACR also recommends that patients should be asked about the following devices or objects that may be in their body: pacemaker, heart valve, drug pump, defibrillator, metal plates, screws, pins, rods, tattoos, stents, cancer radiation implants, bullets or other shrapnel. Any item that doesn't naturally occur in the body should be revealed, even if the patient doesn't think it could be harmful.

  Women should also be asked if they are pregnant and then tested if they are unsure. At that point, the benefits and risks of having an MRI while pregnant should be discussed between the patient and a doctor.