"While we are familiar with medical safety and ethics principles when errors occur, the culture of blaming parties is still prevalent," noted Ana Paula Santos Lima, MD, assistant professor of radiology at the University of Washington, and colleagues. "Everyone makes mistakes; it's crucial to minimize risks. It's not always direct staff at fault."

System-wide vulnerabilities need to be addressed and coherent MRI safety strategies must be implemented, they added.

To minimize the impact of radiofrequency-induced heating, the authors advised the following:

• Assess all tattoos for metallic ink. Black, red, and cyan may have metallic flecks that can cause injury. Use a heat sink of a sealable plastic storage bag filled with cool water placed on tattoos that are near the area of interest.