Patient safety
provide assistance with screening for ferromagnetic objects before individuals enter the MRI room. Simon Collinge, Ferroguard Product
Specialist, and Adrian Davies, European sales manager, of Metrasens, who I met at the hospital shortly before the official opening, were keen to emphasise the patient safety benefits of the company’s equipment, and the ‘minimal investment’ generally required to install it.
Significant rise in MRI scans Simon Collinge said: “The past 10-15 years have seen a significant rise both in MRI scans undertaken globally, and of reported actual and near miss projectile incidents involving ferromagnetic items in MRI suites.” In fact, according to the MHRA (the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority), which holds data on scanning procedures in England, while in 1995 the country saw 347,817 MRI scans undertaken, by 2011 the figure had risen to almost 2.3 million. Moving to discuss how Metrasens
convinced the project team at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital that fitting the door of the new MRI room with Metrasens FMD equipment would pay dividends, Simon Collinge said: “I originally approached Steve Ross, the Foundation Trust’s lead radiographer, within a week of the fire occurring, to see if Metrasens could do anything to help, and discussed with him the options for both equipping the temporary mobile scanning units with an FMD system, and for installing one of our systems within the new permanent replacement imaging suite that I knew was planned.
Preconceptions overcome “I subsequentlymet himagain, and, in our discussions, overcame some of the commonmisconceptions about the use of ferromagnetic detection equipment. Having talked through thematter with his colleagues, they were won over by the
A metal object within their body showing up on the scan as a digital
‘artefact’ could block the radiologists’ view of a potential abnormality
patient safety arguments, and he was soon back tome to confirmthat the teamwould indeed like to buy a Ferroguard Guardian systemfor the new imaging suite.” Simon Collinge and Adrian Davies then
explained why a prudent NHS Trust or private healthcare provider should consider installing ferromagnetic metal detection equipment at, or close to, the entrance of an MRI room. Simon Collinge said: “Such is the strength of an MRI magnet’s field that any ferromagnetic material, such as keys or loose coins in a pocket, can potentially ‘fly’ across the room when they get near enough to the magnet’s bore. Equally, equipment brought into the MRI unit, such as steel oxygen cylinders, and wheelchairs, must not be allowed into the scanning room. The consequences of a mistake could be injury to the patient, or any staff still in the room, and severe equipment damage. That is why it is essential to check every patient before they enter the scanning room.”
A series of checks Prior to coming into hospital for an MRI scan, Simon Collinge explained, patients will undergo a series of checks, the first by the referring physician, explaining what a scan involves, and advising on, for example, not wearing, or carrying, any metal objects. Thereafter, a request for a scan will be sent to the hospital’s imaging department, after which the patient will receive a letter confirming their
appointment, and reiterating what they need to do to prepare. A questionnaire is also provided to be completed and brought in with them. Adrian Davies explained: “There is, in
fact, a list of items that patients are advised they should make radiology staff aware of. These range from programmable implantable devices and cardiac pacemakers, to certain types of tattoo, and even permanent make-up.”
A number of dangers The Metrasens European sales manager stressed that, despite all the usual precautions having been taken, should an individual enter an MRI room with a ferromagnetic item ‘on them’, alongside the dangers of ‘flying metal’, a metal object within their body showing up on the scan as a digital ‘artefact’ could block the radiologists’ view of a potential abnormality, meaning the scan would have to be repeated.
‘Fit and ready’? Simon Collinge went on to explain that, on arrival at the imaging suite, the patient will not only have, to hand for inspection, their clinical notes, but also the completed pre-procedure questionnaire, which the radiographer will run through with them to clarify their responses, thereafter determining whether they are indeed ‘fit and ready’ for the scan. In addition to referring to the patient-supplied information in the safety questionnaire, and noting the answers the patient gives on the day, some hospitals will use additional ferromagnetic detection technology to ‘qualify’ the screening process. Adrian Davies said: “A number of healthcare facilities are equipped with handheld metal detectors, but these cannot differentiate between ferrous (hazardous) and non-ferrous (non- hazardous) metals, and are less reliable in terms of identifying the small metal items we would be looking for.”
One of the scanning rooms, with the ceiling-mounted images above the scanner, to ‘bring the outside in’.
The reception and adjoining corridor, showing some of the daylight tunnels in ceilings.
Health Estate Journal September 2013
73
Courtesy of HHFT
Courtesy of HHFT
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122
