Non-operatingroom anaesthesia (NORA) at the focus of safety investigation

The Safety In­ves­ti­ga­tion Au­thor­ity has launched a safety in­ves­ti­ga­tion into an in­ci­dent at a pri­vate clinic in Kuo­pio on 2 Jan­u­ary 2025 in which the pa­tient was ad­min­is­tered in­tra­venous anaes­the­sia dur­ing an MRI.

At the end of the imaging, it was observed that the patient’s condition had deteriorated considerably. The patient died later despite receiving intensive care. 

“Based on the investigation, it became clear that the patient’s vital functions were not monitored with appropriate equipment during anaesthesia. This unfortunate incident allows us to examine how safety practices have been taken into account in anaesthesia administered outside of the operating room. As this safety investigation is a 360-degree investigation, we are also examining the self-monitoring of private medical clinics and official supervision at a more general level”, says Hanna Tiirinki, Investigator-in-Charge.

Tiirinki also emphasises: ”Safety is a priority in all activities in health and social care. This also applies to MRI, which must always be performed safely – whether or not carried out under anaesthesia. No patient should die during such a test. The purpose of the investigation is to learn from what has happened and to ensure that similar events can be avoided in the future.”

The purpose of the safety investigation is to improve public safety and prevent new accidents and incidents. Matters of guilt and liability will not be addressed in the investigation.

The duration of the safety investigation is approximately 9–12 months.