MRI Safety Week

Every year, MRI Safety Week is observed during the last week of July.  The purpose is to help increase awareness and provide education of the unique concerns and issues intrinsic to MRI systems. These concerns are valid for all team members, patients, the public, and anyone coming into contact with the MRI magnet and imaging suite.

At Greater Waterbury Imaging Center, we practice MRI safety every day and support the national effort to spread awareness during this special week. The last week in July was chosen to  coincide with a MRI tragedy that occurred in New York, USA in 2001 when a child died during the MRI procedure.  When an oxygen tank was brought into the MRI suite, it was pulled into the scanner by the scanner’s strong magnetic field and became a powerful and deadly projectile.  As a result of this horrific incident, the medical community quickly and proactively responded by focussing on MRI safety in a structured and organized way by implementing MRI Safety Programs in MR imaging centers.

At Greater Waterbury Imaging Center, we are constantly updating our policies and procedures to address new threats and concerns such as clothing that now may include metallic fibers.   We actively identify possible risks to anyone who may come in contact with the magnet and we take the steps needed to mitigate the risks and implement those steps in our continuously evolving MRI safety program. We continue to be ever alert which is one of the most important aspects of our program.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a superb diagnostic method for imaging the the human body and one of the most accurate imaging tools available today. MRI allows your healthcare professional to see the internal organs and tissues of the human body without the use of ionizing radiation or surgically invasive procedures. For information on everything you need to know about your exam and how to prepare for your exam please visit this page of our website.

The following video is provided as an educational and awareness tool for our community of patients, staff, public and anyone with access to our MRI suites: