Page 143 - JRCERT Update Articles

JRCERT Update

Ensuring Student Safety in Magnetic Resonance Education Programs

room and into the magnet, causing severe trauma to Table
the child’s head. This tragedy highlighted the need Magnetic Resonance (MR) Safety Zones 5
2
to improve safety considerations in the MR envi- Zone Description
ronment and emphasized the unmistakable need to
improve safety measures for students in educational I  Areas are freely accessible to the general public.
S
programs. II  emirestricted area where patients and hospital
staff can interact.
Promoting Safe Practices and Improved  Area must be marked clearly with a radiation
Accountability hazard safety sign.
Reports of unsafe practices in the MR environ- III  Area is physically restricted from the non-MR
ment have pointed to a need for increased guidance on personnel area.
D
safety practices. The American College of Radiology  oes not permit free access by unscreened,
developed a guidance document to provide industry non-MR personnel.
standards for safe and responsible practices in MR  Must be free of any ferromagnetic objects and
environments. The document is updated continually to equipment that can be drawn into the magnet,
reflect changes in MR imaging best practices. Emanuel resulting in serious injury or death.
T
Kanal, MD, FACR, FISMRM, MRMD, AANG, the IV  he MR suite itself.
I
lead author of the document, has developed an MR  ndividuals that have not been screened are not
safety training course to promote the certification of permitted to enter this zone under any circum-
MR safety officers. In addition, the Joint Commission stance.
3
A
issued diagnostic imaging requirements that require  fter an appropriate screening process has taken
organizations to manage safety and security risks place, patients and hospital personnel can enter
in MR environments. These requirements include the MR suite but must be accompanied by
restricting access to MR areas, ensuring these areas designated MR staff.
are controlled by MR safety-trained individuals, and
posting signage to indicate the presence of potentially dosimetry programs are required to establish a safety
dangerous magnetic fields (see Table). Furthermore, screening protocol for all students who have access to
4
1
the Joint Commission requires facilities to document the MR environment. To document compliance, the
the ongoing education of MR personnel, including program must describe how it prepares students for MR
annual training on MR safe practices. safe practices and provide a copy of the screening form.
A plethora of MR safety information and resources for
New Standards Interpretations programs to use is available (see Box).
In the JRCERT’s continual quest to promote qual- As of the beginning of 2016, the JRCERT had
ity and safety, new interpretations were adopted in accredited 10 MR programs, with several more in the
October 2014 for Standard Four of the JRCERT accreditation process. All of these programs have pub-
Standards for an Accredited Educational Program in lished information about MR safety screening on their
Magnetic Resonance, which deals with health and program’s Web site; whereas, an informal review of non-
safety to ensure the safety of students in educational JRCERT accredited MR programs listed on the American
programs for radiography, radiation therapy, MR, and Registry of Radiologic Technologists Educational
medical dosimetry. The interpretations require MR Programs Web site revealed that only 1 of 4 MR programs
6
programs to publish and provide information about have published information on their program’s Web site
7
the potential dangers of implants or foreign bodies in about MR safety screening. This indicates the need for,
students to all students and the general public, as well as and value of, programmatic accreditation. Programmatic
to establish a safety screening protocol for all students. accreditation provides educational programs prepar-
In addition, radiography, radiation therapy, and medical ing new practitioners for the profession with an external

562 RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY, May/June 2016, Volume 87, Number 5
Reprinted with permission from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists for educational purposes. ©2019. All rights reserved.