Did MR Safety Take a Hit During COVID-19?

The COVID-19 pandemic upended health care throughout the world with near-capacity hospitalization rates, overworked staff, and new personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements. Patient and staff safety was often at the forefront of operational decisions made during the pandemic. But how did the pandemic impact MR safety?

In December 2020, the US FDA issued a safety communication that face masks with metal in the nose wire or in the fabric may cause burns during an MR exam. The announcement came on the heels of a report that a patient’s face was burned from the metal in a face mask worn during an MR. The FDA reminded MR providers to screen all patients for masks containing metal and even encouraged them to provide MR-safe face masks.

“The more important aspect of the FDA’s announcement is that patients should not be wearing their own mask into the MR exam,” says William (Bill) Faulkner, BS, RT(R)(MR)(CT), FSMRT, MRSO (MRSC), owner and CEO of William Faulkner & Associates, LLC, and an established consultant on the subject of MR Safety.