Nurse nearly gets crushed in MRI freak accident

A nurse in California suffered "crushing injuries" after being caught between an MRI machine and a bed. The incident occurred when the machine's magnetic force pulled the bed towards it, causing the nurse to become trapped. The patient fell from the bed but was unharmed. An investigation found that there were multiple safety failures, including inadequate training and equipment checks. The hospital has stated that they are committed to understanding the cause of the accident and implementing changes to prevent future incidents.

TIMESOFINDIA.COM

Updated On Oct 31, 2023 at 08:16 AM IST

A nurse was recently stuck in between an MRI machine and a bed , New York Post reported.

The nurse, Ainah Cervantes, suffered “crushing injuries” that required surgery after the MRI machine’s magnetic force suddenly pulled a hospital bed toward it.

The patient fell from the bed and was uninjured, but Cervantes became sandwiched between the front of the tube-shaped machine and the bed.

“I was getting pushed by the bed,” Cervantes told investigators in a report conducted by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA). “Basically, I was running backwards. If I didn’t run, the bed would smash me underneath.”

Cervantes had a severe injury that needed surgery. The surgery involved taking out two screws that were stuck, according to documents from the station.

Even though this happened in February, the investigation wasn't finished until many months later.

The California Department of Public Health investigated, and they found that the Redwood City center didn't do a good job providing safe radiologic services.

The report also found that there were mistakes made before the accident with the MRI machine, which uses magnets and radio waves to make pictures of the body for medical reasons.

The investigators said that nobody, not even the patient, got checked before going into the room. The door to the room was left open, and the safety alarm didn't work.

The report also said that this incident broke many of Kaiser's MRI safety rules.

Records from the investigation showed that some employees didn't get the necessary safety training, and the hospital didn't test the door alarm every year like they should have.
“The many safety failures … created a culture of unsafe practices,” the California Department of Public Health’s investigation stated.

Sheila Gilson, senior vice president for Kaiser Permanente San Mateo, said teams responded quickly and those involved “immediately received the care and support they needed.”

“This was a rare occurrence, but we are not satisfied until we understand why an accident occurs and implement changes to prevent it from occurring again,” Gilson said according to New York Post.