Scissors inside nurse’s pocket get sucked into MRI scanner

July 21, 2016 12:13

Hospital staff should be fully aware of the huge magnetic suction power of the MRI machine. Photos: HKEJ, CUHK

A pair of scissors mistakenly taken by a nurse into the MRI room of Union Hospital in Sha Tin went flying due to the magnetic suction.

Luckily, a three-year-old boy who was about to undergo a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan and his mother standing next to him were not injured in the incident, Apple Daily reports.

The mother, surnamed Leung, was furious at hospital staff for failing to observe safety regulations.

“How can I trust them again?” she said.

Leung said an MRI scan was scheduled for her son on Monday for an ear polyp.

The boy was taken into the MRI room at 8 p.m. with two nurses giving him a sedative injection.

Leung said she noticed a nurse had a pair of scissors in her pocket.

After nearly 10 minutes, it was announced that the dosage of the sedation jab was not strong enough, so an extra one was required.

The two nurses, who were waiting outside, were called in.

While the nurses were giving the second injection, a big bang was heard.

Soon everyone in the room realized that the pair of scissors was sucked into the MRI machine.

The scissors brushed against the stomach of Leung, who was standing at the time, and went flying above the boy, who was lying flat, and straight into the machine.

According to Leung, the two nurses appeared shocked and had no idea what happened until they saw the pair of scissors stuck on the wall of the machine.

Another nurse was seen quickly taking her earrings off.

In the end Leung’s son was not able to complete the MRI scan.

Legislator Kwok Ka-ki, representing the medical functional constituency, said such an accident was rare as medical staff should be fully aware of the huge magnetic suction power of the MRI machine.

Kwok said the mistake was unacceptable even if the nurses were busy, adding that the hospital should issue an apology.

Union Hospital said the nurses responsible were not carrying any metal objects when they gave the boy the first injection.

A nurse had forgotten to put down a pair of scissors when she was summoned into the room for the second injection, causing the incident.

The hospital said the nurse had immediately apologized to Leung and the boy.

The Department of Health said it was following up on the incident with the hospital administration.

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EL/AC/CG

Hong Kong

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