T2025-01 Patient’s death due to anaesthesia during magnetic resonance imaging

The Safety Investigation Authority, Finland will launch a safety investigation into an incident involving the administration of an intravenous anaesthetic agent to a patient during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at a private medical centre in Kuopio on 2 January 2025. At the end of the MRI procedure, it was observed that the patient was not breathing and was lifeless. The patient was resuscitated but later died despite receiving intensive care. During anaesthesia, the patient’s vital signs were not monitored with appropriate equipment.

The investigation will examine the safety practices, self-monitoring and the activities of the supervisory authorities related to magnetic resonance imaging and anaesthesia administered outside the operating room.

Marleena Komulainen, Senior Safety Investigator, will be appointed as the head of the investigation team, and experts Mikko Virtanen, Päivi Porkka, and Leo Evijärvi, will be appointed as members. The investigator in charge is Dr. Hanna Tiirinki, Chief Safety Investigator.

Applied legislation: Safety Investigation Act of Finland (525/2011), section 2 (2)