UMRAM MRI SCANNER HYGIENE PROCEDURES FOR COVID-19
The following hygiene procedures have been prepared for the safety of examiners, human participants and patients, our animal friends, and everyone working in UMRAM. Everyone MUST follow these rules strictly. Examiners, who do not follow these rules, will be BANNED from using the scanner.
These rules are effective immediately and valid until further notice.
Note that these are hygiene procedures, all other regular procedures MUST still be followed, such as checking for metals and MR-incompatible implants, and obtaining written informed consent forms.
General procedures:
In the rest of the document, MUST means an absolute requirement, SHOULD means a strong recommendation. “Scanner room” refers to the room where the scanner is located. “Scanner site” refers to the combination of the scanner room and the control room.
● The nature of examination (phantom, human, or animal) MUST be noted on the calendar when making a reservation.
● There MUST be at least a 1-hour gap between examinations that involve humans, animals or phantoms.
● Users will not be charged for the extra gap time. However, users MUST separately reserve those extra gap times on the calendar with the following note: “DO NOT USE SCANNER”.
● The gap time MUST not be used for any additional examination, analysis or a study of any other nature in the scanner site. Examiners MUST complete their examination and leave the scanner site by the end of their regular appointment.
● Examiners MUST NOT have any flu-like symptoms. A sample checklist is provided below. With a positive answer to ANY of the questions, the study MUST be postponed.
● Examiners MUST wear mouth and nose protection masks at all times.
● Examiners MUST wash and dry their hands before entering the scanner site.
● Upon entering the scanner site examiners MUST immediately disinfect their hands and MUST wear gloves. They MUST NOT touch any personal belongings afterward.
● Masks and gloves will be provided by UMRAM.
● All objects and surfaces that are used, touched, breathed on or otherwise interacted with MUST be disinfected at the end of the examination. Disinfecting agents will be provided by UMRAM. If you need help, our technical personnel will guide you for applying the disinfectants, so please ask them.
● All waste MUST be disposed of in the medical trash bin placed outside of the scanner site. Our technical personnel will help you locate the bin.
● Masks and gloves MUST NOT be reused and they MUST be renewed if removed.
● Gloves MUST be taken off in a way such that the outer surface of the glove does not touch the skin; turn the inner surface outwards so that one glove wraps the other.
● Personal belongings MUST NOT be placed on the console desk and chairs. They should be properly stored in cabinets or placed on the new desk placed in the scanner site.
● There MUST NOT be any eating or drinking, including water. Human participants or patients may be allowed to take their exam-related medicine if necessary. Disposable cups and/or containers MUST be used for this.
● There SHOULD NOT be more than two examiners at the scanner site unless the nature of the examination requires more than two examiners.
● Examiners SHOULD preserve a distance of 1.5m between them.
● Examiners SHOULD wear long clothing.
● All surfaces, e.g. the bed, head cushions, that the human participants, patients, or animals will contact MUST be appropriately covered.
● Examiners, who need to wash and disinfect their hands frequently, are advised to use skincare products.
Human participant and patient (HPP) procedures:
● HPPs MUST be contacted beforehand and it MUST be ensured that they do not have any flu-like symptoms. A sample checklist is provided below. With a positive answer to ANY of the questions the examination MUST be postponed.
● There MUST be at least a 4-hour gap between the examinations of two HPPs, even if they are related to the same study.
● External HPPs MUST be met outside the building.
● HPPs’ body temperature MUST be measured before allowing them inside the building. A measurement device will be provided by UMRAM.
● HPPs MUST wear a mask before entering the building. If the HPP will wear a mask during examination, and if the mask has a metal part, it can create artifacts in MRI images. If this is a concern, ask the HPP to remove the metal part of their mask before entering the building.
● HPPs MUST be accompanied into the bathroom to wash and dry their hands.
● HPPs MUST be accompanied to the scanner site.
● Only one HPP at a time MUST be admitted into the scanner site.
● HPPs MUST remove all belongings and safely store them once inside the scanner site.
● HPPs MUST wear a medical gown. These gowns will be provided by UMRAM. The gown can be worn over HPPs’ clothes.
● HPPs MUST be guided to disinfect their hands and advised not to touch anything after disinfection.
● HPPs SHOULD bring their signed consent form if possible. If this is not possible HPPs SHOULD be provided with the form in the scanner site. The form SHOULD be signed on the new desk placed in the scanner site. HPPs SHOULD use their own pen to sign the papers. If they do not have a pen they SHOULD be provided with a disinfected pen.
● If needed, an accompanying person may accompany the HPP into the scanner site. Other visitors MUST remain in the waiting lounge and follow the rules of social distance
● Maximum possible distance between the examiner and HPP MUST be preserved at all times, including while positioning the HPP on the bed and attaching the coils. Only one examiner SHOULD prepare the HPP and send inside the scanner bore.
● HPPs SHOULD not be allowed to enter the part of the scanner site where the console desk is located. This part SHOULD be reserved for the examiners only.
● HPPs SHOULD keep their masks on during the examination. If this is not possible, for example, to avoid artifacts or head movements, HPPs’ masks may be removed just before positioning them on the bed.
● HPPs MUST put on earplugs themselves.
● In case the HPP cannot wear a mask due to the nature of the study, the examiners SHOULD exercise extra caution and are advised to wear a full-face protective transparent screen. Those screens will be provided by UMRAM.
Flu-symptom checklist:
1. Have you had a fever in the past 14 days? Yes/No
2. Have you had a dry cough in the past 14 days? Yes/No
3. Have you had any acute muscle problems/limb pain in the past 14 days? Yes/No
4. Have you had an acute headache in the past 14 days? (If you frequently experience headaches, answer “No” if the headache felt as usual) Yes/No
5. Have you had any sudden changes in taste, flavor or olfactory sensation in the past 14 days? Yes/No
6. Have you had acute diarrhea in the past 14 days? Yes/No
7. Have you been in contact with other suspected cases in the past 14 days? Yes/No
8. Have you been abroad in the last 14 days? Yes/No
Animal Examination Procedures:
● Animals SHOULD be admitted to the scanner room through the side door.
● There MUST be a 1-hour gap after an animal study. There may be more than 1 animal subject during an animal examination session.