Safety of face masks and hygiene precautions in MRI during Covid-19 pandemic

Introduction: During the Covid-19 pandemic, questions have been raised among medical imaging practitioners on the safety and practicality of wearing face masks while undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Although asking patients to wear face masks during such procedure is sometimes not feasible, mitigating steps to minimise exposure to Covid-19 infection in an MRI environment is important. An online survey was conducted to find out the practice at government and private institutions in Malaysia. Materials and methods: This survey was distributed to MRI radiographers from government and private institutions in Malaysia. Questions were about types of face masks, metal strip removal, the reasons for not using face masks on patients, and procedures for sanitising the MRI machine. Results: A total of 61 institutions required patients to wear face masks when undergoing MRI, and 79 offered standard surgical masks for patients. Only two institutions provided the more efficient but costly N95 respirator. However, 61 respondents only said their institutions removed the metallic nose clip before starting the procedure. Most respondents in institutions that did not provide face masks to patients said they did so because it was unsafe. It was also found that the bed and radiofrequency(RF) coils are the most sanitised parts of the MRI machine, while the gantry is the least cleaned. Conclusion: MRI administrators should modify their standard operating procedure and workflow to fulfil safety requirements during the pandemic. Other strategies to reduce respiratory droplets in the air, such as installing mechanical ventilation, should be considered for MRI rooms.

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