The safe use of equipment in the magnetic resonance environment

The clinical literature and problem reporting databases include numerous reports of injuries--and a few deaths--in magnetic resonance (MR) centers. Many of these incidents occurred because ferromagnetic materials (that is, materials that can become strongly magnetized) were mistakenly brought into the MR environment. The most spectacular outcome of such an error is the projectile effect, in which an object becomes airborne and literally flies through the air, crashing into the magnet. (A patient death from an airborne oxygen canister was widely reported last July.) Other incidents can be attributed to the use of devices within the MR environment in a manner not in accordance with their restrictions or limitations. Such incidents continue to occur despite the widely known risks of the MR environment. As the amount of equipment used in this environment increases, and as more powerful MR systems grow in popularity, staff awareness of MR hazards becomes ever more vital. In this Guidance Article, we discuss the basic technology of MR systems (including a description of the different types of magnetic field), outline the hazards presented by various elements of the MR environment, provide ECRI's recommendations for using equipment safely in this environment, and present a starter list of equipment and devices that are marketed by their suppliers as MR compatible.