Just like how people often forget that a car can be a giant hunk of murderous metal, MRI machines can be overlooked as harmless medical equipment. However, these magnetic devices can be extremely dangerous around metal objects, and one 61-year-old man in New York met his unfortunate end as a result. As reported by ABC News, “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.” He was transported to a local hospital in critical condition, but his injuries ended up being fatal.
It goes without saying that there’s a very good reason why patients are told to remove anything and everything metallic on their person before entering an MRI examination room. As one Reddit user puts it, “And patients in the ED continue to ask me why I need to complete an MRI screening form and ask a bunch of questions prior to said patient going to MRI…..“
However, it should be noted that the 61-year-old was not the patient in question, but rather someone related to whoever was being examined. Having not gone through the proper safety measures, he was still wearing his necklace, and the magnetic force pulled him to the machine, likely dealing serious injuries to his neck and upper body.
This Death from an MRI Machine Should Not Have Happened
Another Redditor remarked how this sort of incident should have never happened in the first place, even if it was the man’s fault. “There are multiple doors with large warning signs to go through, and clear lights to say the machine is in use, and staff to prevent entrance by anyone while the machine is running,” they explain in detail. So, the only reasons the man was able to enter the MRI exam room were if there was a serious breakdown in the clinic’s safety procedures, or the man was illiterate or not thinking clearly.
CBS New York reports that the man thought he heard screaming, so he stormed into the MRI chamber after multiple people tried to stop him. Tragic incidents with MRI machines have occurred in the past, but that doesn’t make stories like this any less shocking and harrowing to read about. “What in the final destination…?” a commenter remarked in disbelief.
