A 61-year-old man died after he was pulled into an MRI machine while wearing a metal chain at a medical facility in New York on Wednesday, reports ABC News.
The incident took place in the afternoon at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, Long Island. According to Nassau County Police, the man entered an MRI room without authorisation while a scan was already in progress. The strong magnetic field of the machine attracted the large metallic chain around his neck, resulting in a medical episode.
“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 in a statement.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene following a 911 call at 4.34 pm. The unidentified man was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition. He died the following day at 2.36 pm, police confirmed on Friday.
The investigation into the fatal incident remains ongoing. A spokesperson for the police said no further details were available.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines are powered by strong magnetic fields and radio frequency currents to generate detailed internal images of the body. Due to the strength of the magnet, patients are routinely advised to remove all metal objects before entering the scanning room, including small jewelry or piercings.
According to the national institute of biomedical imaging and bioengineering, an MRI’s magnetic force is strong enough to fling a wheelchair across the room. The agency also warns against entering the scan area with certain medical implants or metallic objects.
Fatal incidents involving MRI machines are rare but have occurred before. In 2001, a six-year-old boy in the United States died after an oxygen tank was pulled into the machine during a scan. In 2018, a man in India lost his life after entering an MRI room carrying an oxygen cylinder. Just last year, a nurse in California was crushed between an MRI machine and a hospital bed due to magnetic pull, requiring surgery, reports the New York Times.
The incident took place in the afternoon at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, Long Island. According to Nassau County Police, the man entered an MRI room without authorisation while a scan was already in progress. The strong magnetic field of the machine attracted the large metallic chain around his neck, resulting in a medical episode.
“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 in a statement.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene following a 911 call at 4.34 pm. The unidentified man was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition. He died the following day at 2.36 pm, police confirmed on Friday.
The investigation into the fatal incident remains ongoing. A spokesperson for the police said no further details were available.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines are powered by strong magnetic fields and radio frequency currents to generate detailed internal images of the body. Due to the strength of the magnet, patients are routinely advised to remove all metal objects before entering the scanning room, including small jewelry or piercings.
According to the national institute of biomedical imaging and bioengineering, an MRI’s magnetic force is strong enough to fling a wheelchair across the room. The agency also warns against entering the scan area with certain medical implants or metallic objects.
Fatal incidents involving MRI machines are rare but have occurred before. In 2001, a six-year-old boy in the United States died after an oxygen tank was pulled into the machine during a scan. In 2018, a man in India lost his life after entering an MRI room carrying an oxygen cylinder. Just last year, a nurse in California was crushed between an MRI machine and a hospital bed due to magnetic pull, requiring surgery, reports the New York Times.
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