Boy dies in MRI machine!!

Janet Barclay · Aug 3, 2001

Sounds, on the surface, like pure negligence.. Most insitutions have extensive checklists for MRI, and I know in ours, our ICU patients rarely get scanned because we can't properly moniter them.

I suspect the child was not accompanied by a nurse, perhaps a poter, who didn't understand the importance of the rules.

The whole situation is terribly tragic, and apparently the hospital immediately accepted culpability (as they should).

Nothing will bring the child back to his shattered family, but I'm sure that this particular institution has frantically reviewed their policies.

radnurse2001 · Aug 3, 2001

I am a Radiology nurse that works extensively in MRI. Appearently (if my information is correct) the chils was sedated which means a nurse should have been present. I work with wonderful and knowledgable MRI techs. We extensively pre-screen people. I myself always do a visual check of the room. It's all part of MRI safety. Somebody was grossly negligent in this case. It is a horrible tragety.

RNPD · Aug 3, 2001

According to local papers, a doctor and a nurse were present with the child. The hospital president will not ID them or state in what capacity they were there. It was gross negligence and a horrible tragedy. To think what that child went thru and survived brain sx, only to die like this.

The hospital has accepted full responsibility for this horrible accident. Very admirable, but do you know that even when the parents sue & win, they will get very little compensation in the state of NY? That's because in this state a 6 year old is nearly worthless in the eyes of the court. Compensation is based only on loss of earnings or loss of services that will now need to be paid for. For example a young mother's service is reimbursible; her husband's wages would be as well. A child has neither wages, nor provides services-therefore is legally worthless. The only way to get satisfaction in a civil lawsuit is to make the offenders pay meontary damages. And the hospital attorneys know very well the law in NY. They realized from the outset that the positive press they get for accepting responsibility w/o excuses, is more than offset by the piddling amount they will pay in settlement. I hate to be cynical but this is how I see it.