An evaluation of safety policies in Magnetic Resonance Imaging departments

Abstract

This study was done to evaluate the application of MRI procedure safety in Sudan as well as to compare the national safety form with the international one. The study was conducted at Khartoum Advancing Diagnostic Center, Elrabat University Hospital and National Cancer Institute (NCI), in the period from January 2011 to June 2011.The sample of the study was 50 patients from both gender and with different ages and examinations. All patients were asked to fill and answer the international ideal safety form before their examination, this to ensure the application of the safety procedures. The national MRI forms were compared with the national one; so as to be able to evaluate what was applied in MRI departments in Sudan. The data was analyzed by using statistical package for Social Studies (SPSS). The results being as follows: 32% had prior surgery, 6% had eye involving metallic object,20% were injured by foreign body,20% were suspected to be pregnant,14% had infusion pump,4% had implanted drug infusion devise,2% had prosthesis, 8% had prosthesis limb ,14 % had external and internal metallic objects as well as 36% of the sample with hearing aid and were examined by MRI.6% had cardiac pacemaker, 6% had cochlear implant and implanted hearing aid, 2% had metallic fragments and foreign body and were not examined by MRI.The study concluded that this application was not recommended by the international safety procedures guide lines.