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.
Considerations for 1.5T and 3T MRI of patients with dermal piercings
Must read: What this policy does not cover / notable exceptions
This policy does not cover patients with body art, tattoos or cosmetic beauty products.
Must read: What the policy covers
This policy considers 1.5T and 3T MRI scanning of patients with dermal piercings.
Must read: The MR safety policy
MRI scanning of a patient with dermal piercings is not ideal as some dermal piercings can have magnetic components and so may feel a significant pull on the skin if allowed to enter the MR Environment. Dermal piercings may also cause distortions within the imaging field of view. While dermal piercings are believed to be too small to present a risk as a result of heating during MR scanning, patients will be warned about heating as a precaution.
Screening to identify ferrous or magnetic dermal piercings
When patients attend for MRI, they must be asked if any of their dermal piercings are magnetic. Any magnetic components must then be removed. Following this, a final check with the handheld magnet should be done to confirm all ferrous or magnetic components have indeed been removed. If further components are identified by the handheld magnet as being either ferrous or magnetic then these must be removed prior to entering the MR Environment.
Screening for non-ferrous and non-magnetic dermal piercings
Following the screening process above for ferrous or magnetic dermal piercings, once these implants have been ruled out or removed, proceed as follows with non-ferrous / non-magnetic dermal piercings.
If the patient is unable or unwilling to remove their non-ferrous/non-magnetic dermal piercings prior to scanning then scanning may proceed provided patients are advised to report any unusual sensations or heating in the implant area that occur during MR scanning. They should do this by pressing the staff call button.
Risk assessment: A risk assessment underpinning this policy can be found here:
GenericRiskAssessmentForm_MR_scanning_dermal_piercings
Additional background information and discussion
See the following links on MRI safety of …