Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, is an imaging method widely used for both scientific and medical purposes. MRI uses powerful magnets and radio waves to produce highly refined pictures of the brain's soft tissue structures. Importantly, MRI has no known health risks and it is completely non-invasive. Moreover, MRI does not use radiation like many other imaging methods. Yet, according to a 2008 Sentinel Event Alert issued by the Joint Commission, nearly 400 MRI-related accidents have been reported to the Food and Drug Administration during the last ten years in the United States. Most of these accidents were due to human mistakes and could have easily been avoided.
MRI Accidents
Accidents relating to MRI have increased by more than 277 percent since 2004, according to 2009 information from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Most of these accidents were due to human negligence. MRI scanners apply extremely powerful magnets. They can draw ferromagnetic materials to the scanner. Thus, any common magnetic objects, such as cleaning tools or oxygen tanks, become missiles when brought in range of the MRI scanner's magnetic field. Such accidents, referred to as projectile or missile accidents, are the most common MRI accident, states the FDA. Rarely, fatal accidents happen as a result of this kind of neglect. The repair costs resulting from such accidents are enormous, ranging between $20,000 and $500,000, says Dr. Tobias Gilk, the President and MRI Safety Director of Mednovus.
MRI Contrast Agent Side Effects
MRI contrast agents are sometimes used during scans to make it easier to see a tissue that is hard to detect. In most cases, they do not cause any problems, but the Mayo Clinic reports that 0.04 percent of patients experience side effects like lightheadedness, nausea, or burning at the injection site after being administered the agent. Dr. Jonathan R. Dillman and colleagues from the University of Michigan studied 78,353 patients who had undergone MRI scans with contrast agents and reported that only 54 of them had had acute allergic reactions. The researchers published their study in the "American Journal of Roentgenology" in December, 2008, noting that the MRI contrast agent, gadolinium caused the most serious side effects.
A serious medical condition called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis has also been reported in patients with renal failure and kidney diseases when administered gadolinium. These patients cannot filter the agent quickly enough from their bodies, notes Dr. Thomas Grobner in a study published in "Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation" in January, 2006. According to Radiology Info, the symptoms of this condition include renal and kidney failure, hardened skin with red patches, joint pain, and muscle tightening. This makes using gadolinium as a contrast agent in patients with renal failure and kidney diseases unwise. Also, patients with allergies to iodine or shellfish should always let their doctors know about their allergies prior to the MRI scanning.
Not for Every Patient
MRI is a safe method for most patients, but it is not for everyone. MRI scanning should not be used if there are any metal objects, such as cardiac pacemakers, cochlear implants, or bullet fragments, in a patient's body. Dyes used in tattoos may contain iron and heat up during the scan. If a patient has been handling metals due to his job or hobby, he should always let the doctor know about this prior to the scan.
References
- Medical News Today: Joint Commission Alert Shines Light On Preventing MRI Accidents, Injuries.
- MD Publishing: A Deadly Trend: Statistics Show MRI Accidents Up 227 Percent
- Health Imaging: Allergic Reactions to Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents Are Rare
- Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: Gadolinium -- A Specific Trigger for The Development of Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy and Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis?
- Radiology Info: MRI of the Head
