missile effect

A term referring to the ability of an MRI scanner to dangerously attract ferromagnetic iron-based materials—which are core structural components of fire extinguisher, gas cylinders, carts, wheelchairs, floor polishers, gurneys and hospital beds—due to the MR scanner’s extremely high-strength magnets. The ferromagnetic nature of materials should be identified before being brought into the MRI suite, as all such ferromagnetic projectile incidents have the ability to cause injury.

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The following types of injury can and have occurred during the MRI scanning process: "Missile effect" or "projectile" injury in which ferromagnetic objects (those having magnetic properties) such as ink pens, wheelchairs, and oxygen canisters are pulled into the MRI scanner at rapid velocity.

Sentinel event alert

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