Information for patients
If you are a patient reading this and have a concern about an MRI scan you are scheduled to attend, we strongly recommend you contact the site where your scan is due to take place, you may also wish to refer to our ‘Information for Patients’ section. Please note local variations to the policies detailed on this website may apply, therefore please contact the hospital where your appointment is scheduled for clarification.
Disclaimer (MUST READ)
The MRI safety information contained within this webpage is intended for use by staff from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) and associated health boards, namely: NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Borders, NHS Dumfries & Galloway, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Golden Jubilee, and NHS Lanarkshire. Only staff from these health boards are approved to use this information and local variations to the policies detailed may apply. Non-approved users i.e. patients and staff from health boards other than those listed above, or staff from private medical organisations use this information at their own risk. We, NHS GGC, accept no responsibility for patient injury or adverse outcomes that may occur as a consequence of the information contained herein. If you have any questions regarding this disclaimer, please contact the NHS GGC MRI physics team on: ggc.MRSafetyExpert@nhs.scot.
NHS GGC policy for MRI safety of patients with aneurysm clips
Must read: What this policy does not cover / notable exceptions
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Must read: What the policy covers
This policy only applies to 1.5T and 3T MRI of patients with brain aneurysm clips
Must read: The MR safety policy
If a patient with an aneurysm clip is being considered for 1.5T or 3T MRI, the first thing to be done is to check with a Radiologist that the referral is valid. Beyond this, the make and model of the aneurysm clip must be known and documented proof must be sought. The MRI safety status of the specific aneurysm clip must be established. MR Safe clips may be scanned. If the clip is MR Conditional, the patient may only be scanned if the conditional criteria can be satisfied. The documented proof of the make and model of the clip must be recorded on CRIS. Word of mouth responses are not to be trusted as aneurysm clip model numbers can easily be mixed up.
Information about Sugita clips can be found here
Risk assessment: A risk assessment underpinning this policy can be found here:
GenericRiskAssessmentForm_MR_aneurysm_clips
Additional background information and discussion
See the following links on MRI safety of …
Scanning patients with aneurysm clips is one of the greatest causes for concern in MRI. Patients with aneurysm clips have died as a result of being taken into the MR Environment. For many years, many MRI units, including those in NHS GGC, had an absolute ban on MR imaging of patients with aneurysm clips due to concerns about safety.
While there is still reason for caution, given that many modern aneurysm clips have been tested and are known to be safe for MRI, it is no longer reasonable to preclude all patients with aneurysm clips from MRI as a healthcare technology on the grounds of safety.