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Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people have been (a) killed and (b) injured in adverse incidents involving scanners in the NHS in (i) England and (ii) each strategic health authority in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement; [198239] (2) how many adverse incidents involving (a) MRI and (b) CT scanners there have been in (i) England and (ii) each strategic health authority in each year since 1997; and if he will estimate the costs of these incidents. [198250] Ms Rosie Winterton: Since 1997 a total of 147 incidents involving computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners have been reported to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). 110 of these involved MRI and 37 CT procedures. Number of incidents reported to MHRA _________________________________________________________________________________________________. CT MR Total 1997 0 0 0 1998 0 0 0 1999 0 5 5 2000 0 4 4 2001 0 22 22 2002 4 29 33 2003 16 22 38 2004 to date 17 28 45 Total 37 110 147 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. The identification of strategic health authorities where these incidents occurred is only available following a more detailed interrogation of the MHRA's adverse incident database. The costs of these incidents is not known, as this information was not reported to the MHRA at the time. Of the 37 incidents relating to CT scanning, three have resulted in injuries to patients. These have been classified as "minor" injuries, resulting from software problems, which led to slightly more radiation than expected being delivered to the patients. These were not deemed statistically significant. Forty-seven of the 110 incidents relating to MRI scanning have resulted in minor injuries, and there has been one fatality. This fatality occurred when a patient who had a cardiac pacemaker in situ underwent a MRI procedure. Cardiac pacemakers are an absolute contra- indication to undertaking MRI scans and there was a breakdown in local policies and procedures which led to this patient being scanned. Local scanning procedures and policies have been considerably revised to prevent any re-occurrence. The MHRA attended a meeting of EUCOMED (European medical technologies industry body) in September 2004 where the issue of the compatibility of implants with MRI scanners was discussed. This meeting recommended that a further meeting dedicated entirely to this problem involving EUCOMED, COCIR (European coordination committee of the radiological and electromedical industry), representatives of major implant manufacturers, and representatives of MRI manufacturers should take place in Brussels early next year (February 2005). The remaining injuries have mainly resulted in skin reddening, or minor burns, caused by the heating effect of the coils used in MRI scanning. Most of these appear to have been due to user error in placing the coils. Work is on-going to improve both manufacturers' information on coil usage and to ensure that operators of this equipment are fully aware of the potential for injury to patients if this advice is not followed. Where equipment has been found to be faulty this has been addressed with the manufacturers and changes implemented. No injuries to patients were reported prior to 2000. Injuries caused by CT and MRI scanners reported to MHRA _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Fatality Injury 2000 -- 2 2001 -- 11 2002 1 14 2003 -- 13 2004 to date -- 10 Total 1 50 _________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

426 c1973-4W;426 c1978-80W; 198239;198250

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Death Injuries Screening Safety Tomography Magnetic resonance imagers

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk