MRI accidents have explained: which causes deaths and injuries in scanners
When serious accidents occur in magnetic resonance imaging scanners, it is generally because people ignore a very important rule
Monty Rakusen / Digital Vision
Last month, a man of Long Island died after being fired in a magnetic resonance imaging scanner by a large metal chain he wore around his neck. This is not the first time that an MRI scanner has turned out to be a death trap.
In the latter case, according to the media, the man had accompanied his wife in the center of the MRI and was waiting in front of the examination room while his knee was scanned. Once the procedure is completed, she called him so that he could help him get up. The man entered the MRI room, and a chain of 20 pounds which he wore around his neck for bodybuilding was immediately attracted to the magnet of MRI. He pulled the man’s body with it, launched it against the scanner and trapped it there. He suffered serious injuries and was declared dead in a hospital the next day.
How could it happen? An MRI scanner uses magnetic fields generated by metal coils in its nucleus, and other fields are then added in pulses. In simple terms, a static magnetic field directs the nuclei of hydrogen atoms in the body so that they are all confronted with the same direction; The magnetic impulses briefly redirect the nuclei, then they align themselves again in parallel. The scanner detects these changes and uses them to create fabric images.
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In terms of security, the problem is that, as the current crosses the device, it becomes a huge and extremely powerful electromêne. The ferromagnetic materials – which, at room temperature, include iron, cobalt, nickel and certain metal alloys – are attracted to it with a lot of force. This means that metallic objects that approach MRI can become dangerous projectiles.
There is therefore a good reason why the metal parts are taboo in and around MRI machines. In preparation for a scan, patients are invited to remove all the metallic objects they carry. When people do not follow this instruction, serious accidents may occur. In 2023, a Brazilian took a firearm loaded in the MRI room where he accompanied his mother. The magnet removed the pistol from his belt, and a shot started when he hit the scanner. The ball struck man in the abdomen, causing a fatal injury. Similar weapons discharges also occurred in the United States, fortunately with less serious results, including a 2012 incident in New York State which involved a police officer on leave.
Before a patient was brought for a scan, he was asked if he had medical or cosmetic implants containing metal in his body. These may include cardiac stimulators, stents, piercings and bone screws. Metal residues of ball wounds should also be reported. The staff then check if the objects could cause problems. In the end, most metallic objects inside the body represent no danger for patients. But if they are overlooked, things can become ugly.
Projectile fragments and metal shavings that penetrated the fabric as a result of ball injury or accidents can travel a few millimeters during the scan. Doctors examine very carefully if an MRI is too risky in the presence of these foreign bodies, then goes to other imaging procedures if necessary. Small metallic particles also sometimes move around their own axis and in confined spaces. This can have them dangerously heat.
There may even be tattoos problems containing certain metal inks. In a case, a tattooed professional football player suffered burns during a pelvic MRI. “Risk” tattoos are those with a black pigment or any other pigment containing iron oxide, as well as those with a design that displays loops, large circular objects or several adjacent points.
In an extreme example of internal metallic objects causing damage during an MRI, a woman wore a sex toy in the MRI without the knowledge of the staff of the clinic. Most of these toys are silicone, a plastic that should be without problem in the magnet, but to the surprise of the people present, in particular the woman examined, this one contained ferromagnetic equipment. As a result, she suffered internal injuries unpertified and had to be admitted to the hospital.
In general, MRIs are very safe when used properly. Technicians perform tens of thousands of scans each year without damaging those who are examined. Serious accidents involving neglected or unconceived ferromagnetic materials are very rare. But it is important that MRI patients follow a cardinal rule: leave the metal outside the scanning room.
This article originally appeared in Science spectrum and was reproduced with permission.
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