{"id":14011,"date":"2021-07-27T15:56:42","date_gmt":"2021-07-27T19:56:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/weeklyrounds\/?p=14011"},"modified":"2021-07-27T16:03:14","modified_gmt":"2021-07-27T20:03:14","slug":"recognizing-mri-safety-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/weeklyrounds\/2021\/07\/recognizing-mri-safety-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Recognizing MRI Safety Week"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"This week, July 27 through August 3, 2021, is MRI Safety Week. Thank you to Dawn Vitarelli, Cooper\u2019s Manager of Cross-Sectional Imaging who, along with Cooper University Health Care\u2019s MRI team, shared some amazing facts about MRI technology and the Cooper team responsible for keeping us healthy and safe around the MRI magnets.<\/p>\n

MRI Basics<\/strong><\/p>\n

MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging, a three-dimensional imaging technique. There are a variety of diagnoses that can be made through MRI. If a doctor orders an MRI, they could be looking for anything from a ligament tear in a joint, a tear or strain in a muscle or tendon, a tumor, MS plaque in the brain or spinal cord, or herniated discs in the spine, for example.<\/p>\n

Before you enter the MRI suite and scan room, you will be asked a series of questions about metal implants in your body \u2013 this is for your safety<\/strong>. If you answer yes to any of the screening questions, the MRI team will investigate the implant and determine if you can proceed with your MRI.<\/p>\n

Our MRI Team at Cooper<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"The 28-person MRI team at Cooper, which includes staff at our outpatient locations, has been working full time on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic. All of our technologists are board certified in magnetic resonance imaging and have strong knowledge regarding implant safety. We also have two board-certified magnetic resonance safety officers, a board-certified radiation officer, and a MRI medical director.<\/p>\n

MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper recently added an MR-Linac machine, an innovative new technology in the treatment of cancer, to their Mount Laurel facility. It is one of only five MR-Linac machines in the country. You can read more about the MR-Linac here.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Cooper\u2019s MRI team provides a safe environment and excellent patient care every day;\u00a0 however, processes shifted somewhat during COVID-19. There are new cleaning procedures to ensure that every patient who enters our MRI units feels confident that they are entering a clean environment. Due to the nature of the magnetic field, typical housekeeping equipment cannot enter our scan rooms, so our technologists now have to become creative with cleaning the inside of the magnets. Some crawl in and clean, while others use a duster.<\/p>\n

The safety of our hospital team members and patients is of the utmost importance and we make sure no one enters our suite without being screened or educated in MRI safety. Our team cannot do this task alone and we would like to thank everyone who assists in the screening process prior to the patient\u2019s arrival to the MRI Department! Here are a few photos of our team and our scanners.<\/p>\n

Keeping Patients Safe<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Did you know that an MRI\u2019s magnetic field is 1,000 to 4,000 times greater than the Earth\u2019s magnetic field? The MRI scanner is always \u201cON\u201d even if no scanning is being performed.\u00a0 This means it is very important that we follow recommended rules to ensure patient and staff safety.<\/p>\n

There are four zones in the MRI department:<\/p>\n