Man sucked into MRI machine by his own metal necklace critically injured
Homicide detectives are investigating after a man was violently sucked into an MRI machine by a metal chain around his neck, police in New York said.
The horrific incident took place at a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) medical facility on Long Island, Kenneth Palmieri, a spokesperson with the Nassau County Police Department, confirmed to USA TODAY.
The facility is in the village of Westbury, a town of North Hempstead on the North Shore of Long Island.
According to a press release from police obtained by USA TODAY, just after 4:30 p.m. local time on July 15, officers responded to a medical emergency call at the Nassau Open MRI in the 1500 block of Old Country Road.
At the scene, witnesses told officers a 61-year-old man "entered an unauthorized M.R.I. room while the scan was in progress," police said in the release.
Officials have not released the man's name because, as of Friday, police told USA TODAY they had not learned if he had died. It was not immediately known whether the man was a visitor to the facility, a patient or if he worked there.
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Machine immediately attracted 'a large metallic chain around his neck'
According to police, the machine's magnetic field immediately attracted "a large metallic chain" the victim wore, which quickly pulled him into the machine and "resulted in a medical episode."
Police did not elaborate about the extent of the man's injuries.
At the scene, officers reported they assisted the man who was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
As of Friday, July 18, Palmieri said, the man's condition was not immediately known.
According to police Commissioner Patrick J. Ryder, the case remained under investigation.
USA TODAY contacted Nassau Open MRI on July 18 but has not received a response.
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MRI risks: 'Injuries from projectiles'
Used for disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring, MRI is a "non-invasive imaging technology" that creates three-dimensional, detailed anatomical images, according to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.
Adverse events from MRI scans "are rare," according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates MRI equipment.
Millions of MRI scans are performed across the nation every year, the FDA wrote on its website. The agency said it receives around 300 incident reports annually involving MRI scanners and coils from manufacturers, distributors, user facilities and patients.
Most of the reports, according to the FDA, include burns, as well as injuries from "projectile events" (objects being drawn toward the MRI scanner). High-powered magnets in the machine quickly draw items, especially metal, into the machine's chamber.
"The strong magnetic field can attract metallic objects, potentially causing them to become projectiles and injure patients," the FDA's website reads.
The magnetic force "is strong enough to fling a wheelchair across a room," according to NIBIB. "Patients should notify their physicians of any form of medical or implant prior to an MR scan."
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
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