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Emergency Procedures in MRI Environment

Emergency Contact Information

Emergency Services: 911

MRI Safety Officer: [Insert contact number]

Radiology Department: [Insert contact number]

General Emergency Guidelines

  1. Remain calm and assess the situation quickly.
  2. Ensure your own safety before attempting to help others.
  3. Contact appropriate emergency personnel immediately.
  4. Follow specific procedures based on the type of emergency.
  5. Do not enter the MRI room unless you are certain it is safe to do so.

Specific Emergency Procedures

Fire Emergency

  1. Activate the fire alarm and call emergency services.
  2. If safe to do so, quench the magnet to shut down the MRI.
  3. Evacuate all participants and staff from the MRI suite.
  4. Use MRI-safe fire extinguishers if the fire is small and containable.
  5. Close all doors to contain the fire.
  6. Meet at the designated assembly point outside the building.

Warning: Standard fire extinguishers are not MRI-safe and should not be brought into the MRI room.

Medical Emergency

  1. Press the emergency stop button to halt the MRI scan.
  2. Contact emergency medical services and the on-call radiologist.
  3. If the participant is inside the bore, use the table release to remove them.
  4. Begin necessary first aid or CPR if trained and safe to do so.
  5. Do not bring standard medical equipment into the MRI room.
  6. Wait for MRI-safe emergency equipment and trained personnel.

Projectile Incident

  1. Do not attempt to remove the object yourself.
  2. Evacuate all personnel from the MRI room immediately.
  3. Secure the area to prevent others from entering.
  4. Contact the MRI Safety Officer and Radiology Department.
  5. If a person is injured, follow medical emergency procedures.
  6. Wait for trained personnel to assess and handle the situation.

Quench Emergency

  1. Recognize signs of a quench: loud rushing noise, visible helium vapor.
  2. Evacuate all persons from the MRI room and adjacent areas immediately.
  3. Close the door to the MRI room.
  4. Activate the fire alarm to engage ventilation systems.
  5. Contact the MRI Safety Officer and Facility Manager.
  6. Do not re-enter the area until it has been declared safe by appropriate personnel.

Warning: A quench can displace oxygen in the room, creating a suffocation risk.

Post-Emergency Procedures

  1. Ensure all persons involved receive appropriate medical attention if needed.
  2. Report the incident to the appropriate authorities and hospital administration.
  3. Preserve the scene for investigation if required.
  4. Participate in any debriefing or incident review processes.
  5. Review and update emergency procedures based on the incident if necessary.