Officers were urgently called to the MRI room after the 61-year-old “entered an unauthorised Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) room while the scan was in progress”
A 61-year-old man died after he was “sucked into an MRI scan by his large metal necklace” – despite well-known warnings.
The unnamed individual suffered critical injuries on Wednesday afternoon at a medical building in Westbury, New York, according to the Nassau County Police Department.
Officers were urgently called to the MRI room after the man “entered an unauthorised Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) room while the scan was in progress”.
“The male victim was wearing a large metallic chain around his neck causing him to be drawn into the machine which resulted in a medical episode,” police said.
The man was rushed to a local hospital in a critical condition. Tragically, he died from his injuries and was pronounced dead Thursday afternoon. An investigation is ongoing, police added.
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Despite this highly unusual incident, MRI scans are painless and safe. However, according to the NHS, strong magnets used during the scan can affect any metal implants or fragments in your body.
As the MRI scanner produces strong magnetic fields, it’s imperative to remove any metal objects from your body.
According to the NHS, these include:
- Watches
- Jewellery, such as rings and necklaces
- Piercings, such as ear, nipple and nose rings
- Dentures (false teeth)
- Hearing aids
- Wigs (some wigs contain traces of metal)
If you don’t need to wear a gown, you should wear clothes without metal zips, fasteners, buttons, underwire (bras), belts or buckles.
Having something metallic in your body doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t have an MRI scan. However, it’s important that the medical staff carrying out the scan are aware of it.
They can decide on a case-by-case basis if there are any risks.
Examples of metal implants or fragments that you should make your Radiographer aware of before being scanned include:
- a pacemaker – a small electrical device used to control an irregular heartbeat
- an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) – a similar device to a pacemaker that uses electrical shocks to regulate heartbeats
- metal plates, wires, screws or rods – used during surgery for bone fractures
- a nerve stimulator – an electrical implant used to treat long-term nerve pain
- a cochlear implant – a device similar to a hearing aid that’s surgically implanted inside the ear
- a drug pump implant – used to treat long-term pain by delivering painkilling medication directly to an area of the body, such as the lower back
- brain aneurysm clips – small metal clips used to seal blood vessels in the brain that would otherwise be at risk of rupturing (bursting)
- metallic fragments in or near your eyes or blood vessels (people who do welding or metalwork for a living have a higher risk of this)
- prosthetic (artificial) metal heart valves
- penile implants – used to treat erectile dysfunction (impotence)
- eye implants – like small metal clips used to hold the retina in place
- an intrauterine device (IUD) – a contraceptive device made of plastic or copper that fits inside the womb
- artificial joints – like those used for a hip replacement or knee replacement
- dental fillings and bridges
- tubal ligation clips – used in female sterilisation
- surgical clips or staples – used to close wounds after an operation
- tattoos and permanent make-up
- foreign bodies like bullets or shrapnel
- breast expanders
- insulin pumps
- glucose monitoring devices
