What can be done to improve MRI safety?

It’s become a depressingly familiar story. A patient (or a patient’s family member) is injured or even killed after a ferromagnetic object is introduced into an MRI scanning room.?

The most recent accident occurred last week in Brazil, when a man accompanying his mother for an MRI scan brought a concealed handgun into the MRI suite. The gun discharged, shooting him in the abdomen; he remains in serious condition.?

Other recent MRI accidents have included:

• A man in South Korea was killed in 2021 by an oxygen cylinder that was brought into the MRI room.
• Hospital staff in Norway were hurt in 2019 when a staff member entered a mobile MRI coach wearing a weighted vest.
• A man in India was killed in 2018 – again, by an oxygen cylinder – when he entered an MRI room carrying the tank for his mother, who was receiving the scan.

Obviously, such incidents are few and far between, and thousands of MRI scans are conducted around the world every day with no incident. But when they do happen, they are frequently high-profile incidents that attract widespread media attention – and raise nagging questions about the safety of MRI exams.

Extensive MRI safety protocols have been developed, and radiology staff are well-versed in them. In the case in Brazil, for example, the man who was shot with his own gun had completed a form acknowledging that he knew the risks of ferromagnetic objects during MRI scans, and that he had no such objects on his person.?

Clearly, better and more stringent protocols are required – especially at the international level – to preserve the safety of patients and healthcare personnel during MRI scans (in the Brazilian case, the gunshot apparently narrowly missed healthcare staff in the suite).

Help could be on the way in the form of Image Wisely, a joint initiative formed in 2010 by the American College of Radiology (ACR), the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) , the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT), and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) to promote responsible use of medical imaging.

A major focus of Image Wisely over the past 13 years has been responsible use of ionizing radiation, but the group this week announced that it would be adding MRI safety to its purview. Image Wisely will create and distribute resources and educational materials promoting safe use of MRI and contrast media, as well as conducting other activities.?

It’s a great start, but is it enough? Given that so many recent MRI accidents have occurred outside the U.S., it’s clear that an international effort is needed to carry the message globally – in particular to resource-challenged countries where MRI is a relatively recent arrival and where hospital staff may not be as well-versed in best safety practices.?

MRI scanner vendors and contrast developers could help fund such efforts, which will indirectly benefit them by reassuring the public about the safety of their products. The knowledge and the means are there – we just need to put them into practice.

I’d like to end this week’s Casey Insights newsletter with a note of thanks to Daniel Arnold and the folks at The Radiology Report Podcast for the opportunity to reminisce on three decades of writing about radiology. Check it out at https://lnkd.in/eYXnmTQk, or find it in the podcast sections of Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Brian Casey, Editorial Director, Casey Insights

Feature News

VA project aims to leverage AI to improve cardiothoracic care

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is planning to launch a new project in its AI Tech Sprint series designed to leverage the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve medical care in the VA system. In the next AI Tech Sprint, the VA will provide its data to radiology AI vendors to test their algorithms, according to an article in Federal News Network.? Read more at https://buff.ly/3je3fqf.

Wearable ultrasound patch monitors cardiac function in real time

An ultrasound patch the size of a Band-Aid that's worn by patients could offer continuous real-time assessments of cardiac function, according to a January 25 study published in Nature. Researchers from California described their experiences with a wearable ultrasound patch they developed, which they said represented advances in device design and material fabrication. Read more at https://buff.ly/3jfssAu.

Image Wisely expands focus to include MRI safety

The Image Wisely initiative to promote patient safety and more judicious use of medical imaging is expanding its focus to include MRI safety. Up to now, Image Wisely had exclusively focused on imaging procedures that employed ionizing radiation. Read more at https://buff.ly/3XADcZt .

Blackford signs deal with Brainomix for stroke AI algorithm

Artificial intelligence (AI) platform developer Blackford has signed a deal with Brainomix to add that company’s e-Stroke software to the Blackford Platform. Read more at? https://buff.ly/3WHJAwp.?

Europe launches big project to create federated cancer database

European authorities have officially launched the European Cancer Imaging Initiative, a new project designed to take aim at cancer by leveraging digital technologies. The project includes the creation of a massive database that combines medical imaging data for use in training and testing artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, with the goal of making imaging data more easily accessible to researchers and clinicians in Europe. Read more at?https://buff.ly/3j59A7p.

Brazilian pro-gun lawyer shot with own gun in MRI room

A Brazilian lawyer who is a pro-gun advocate has been hospitalized in serious condition after his own gun discharged and shot him while he was escorting his mother to an MRI scan, according to Brazilian news reports. Read more at? https://buff.ly/3HsA8ZL.

Headline News

MedCognetics gets $750K NIH grant to study AI for breast cancer

Vista.ai highlights research on AI-based MRI workflow software

Esaote launches MyLab X90 premium ultrasound scanner

GE signs deal with Imricor to combine EP and MRI technology

Radon Medical Imaging acquires Premier Imaging Medical Systems

Bayer gets EU approval to market Ultravist for contrast mammography

GE signs deal to supply medical equipment to Canadian hospital

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