The installation of metal detectors in front of MR suites could prevent fatal accidents such as the one that occurred in July, when an oxygen tank flew into a magnet and killed a 6-year-old boy, according to a letter in the September 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
"Highly sensitive walk-through metal detectors…are available commercially for about $2,000 to $5,500 and require minimal maintenance," wrote Dr. Christopher Landrigan from the Children’s Hospital in Boston.
He pointed out that the typical MR suite generates about $1.8 million annually, making it possible to pay for the installation of a metal detector through operating revenues.
"Safety interventions that work continuously and automatically are generally far more effective than efforts to [safety] train a large number of employees," he said.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writersOctober 1, 2001
Related Reading
Pillow proves potentially perilous in MR procedure, September 26, 2001
Of missiles and metallic objects: How to avoid MRI-related hazards, August 21, 2001
Healthcare safety institute issues MRI precautions, August 14, 2001
MR accident results in child’s death, July 31, 2001
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