The following article was published in Nursing 2006, Volume 36, Issue 11 and is not an official FDA document.
BY SUSAN LANGE, ARRT, MPH, AND QUYNH NHU NGUYEN, BS
PATIENTS UNDERGOING magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) while wearing ECG electrodes attached to cables have received second- and third-degree burns on skin under the electrodes. These burns were discovered after the MRI, according to reports received by the Food and Drug Administration.
The radiofrequency fields that occur during an MRI can heat ECG cables and electrodes, seriously burning skin under the electrodes. The burns can be severe enough to require plastic surgery.
The number of MRI studies performed annually is consistently increasing. As the imaging technology advances, more patients require monitoring during study because of the type of study or their general condition. Patient monitoring requires the use of MRI-compatible equipment. To help reduce patient adverse events during an MRI, follow these steps:
Although you need to support the adverse event-reporting policy of your health care facility, you may voluntarily report a medical device that doesn’t perform as intended by contacting MedWatch at 1-800-FDA-1088 (fax: 1-800-FDA-0178) or online at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/how.htm. The opinions and statements in this report are those of the authors and may not reflect the views of the Department of Health and Human Services. Beverly Albrecht Gallauresi, RN, BS, MPH, who coordinates Device Safety, is a nurse-consultant at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health at the Food and Drug Administration in Rockville, Md.
Susan Lange is a medical imaging specialist and Quynh Nhu Nguyen is a biomedical engineer fellow at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
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Updated February 1, 2007
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