Avoiding Burns during ECG and MRI Exams

A recent FDA article in Nursing2006 describes second and third degree burns in patients undergoing MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) exams while they were wearing ECG electrodes and cables. Many of these burns were discovered only after the exam was over and some were severe enough to require plastic surgery. The problem is that the radiofrequency fields created during an MRI exam can heat ECG cables and electrodes, seriously burning the underlying skin. This hazard is likely to increase as the number of MRI exams goes up, and as more patients need ECG monitoring during their MRI procedures... FDA Patient Safety News: February 2007. Brought to you by SafetyTV Library, www.safetyissues.com. Life Has No Reset Button, Think Safety.