NY - Man Dies After Being Sucked Into MRI Machine by Necklace.

[LordMo]

wow I was not expecting something that big
why in the heck would he have that on at a hospital?
he couldn't take it off in the car?
bizarre

asked a friend who's way more into fitness circles than I am, apparently some people are really into "functional fitness" (and this guy did appear to be very fit) and will wear weighted vests, etc., to burn some extra calories while doing errands or whatever. No idea how common it is to wear a chain like that outside of a gym, though.

 

[10ofRods]

I've had a few MRI's and many other medical scans over the past 7 years. For some of them, my husband was sitting right outside the room. He would've heard me had I called out.

We too have been for multiple MRI's for my husband over the past 3 years. But, I was really far away from the actual MRI room each time. So I guess different places vary.

I'm now reading that the wife says she needed help getting up after the MRI (nothing about screaming for him) and so she asked the technician to bring her husband into the room. Why the technician didn't assist her is unclear. She also says they'd been to the same clinic before and that her husband and the technician had talked about his chain - she seems to assume that the technician would remember every patient and their spouse's attire. I'll admit a big chain might be memorable (it's not *that* big, it can pass as a kind of jewelry, I guess).

Nassau County woman recalls harrowing experience of her husband being pulled into MRI machine

The incident happened Wednesday afternoon at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, Long Island.

longisland.news12.com

Here's a picture of a similar chain. In digging a bit more into this product, it would appear that these weight lifting neck chains (which can also be wrapped around the wrist or fist to use as a barbell) are six feet long. This particular chain is the same weight (20 lbs) as the one in the story. Well, it's 20.5, on their specifications page. So it can be worn looped and I can't even begin to imagine how that would look. Triple wrapped, it would be equivalent to a 24" necklace, which is a pretty common size. They provide a little ratchet tool to secure it in a loop, can't imagine that it would come off easily.

I would bet that this man did not know that the MRI magnet was always on, creating a significant magnetic field even after his wife's knee MRI was completed. I also bet there will be a huge lawsuit over this incident.

 

[Tampadoc]

Technicians who work the MRIs can't be expected to be babysitters as well as attentive, current and courteous to their patients. Facilities managers ought to have tight controls in place to keep anyone not familiar with the risks of an ON magnet away from the device. (The medical literature, BTW, is replete with morbidity and mortality around MRI machines--going back to the early 1990s.)

 

[ChatteringBirds]

For people saying he should have known the risk, I have been there while a relative had a MRI and this case is the first time I've heard the magnet is always on.

So I step back on my earlier comment that he.must have barged into the room, and I think we need clarity on whether he believed his wife was panicking during a MRI and went in, or was she finished with the MRI and needed help standing up?

 

[PrairieWind]

For people saying he should have known the risk, I have been there while a relative had a MRI and this case is the first time I've heard the magnet is always on.

So I step back on my earlier comment that he.must have barged into the room, and I think we need clarity on whether he believed his wife was panicking during a MRI and went in, or was she finished with the MRI and needed help standing up?

We need a lot more information on what happened. We don't seem to have many facts yet.

 

[LadyL]

asked a friend who's way more into fitness circles than I am, apparently some people are really into "functional fitness" (and this guy did appear to be very fit) and will wear weighted vests, etc., to burn some extra calories while doing errands or whatever. No idea how common it is to wear a chain like that outside of a gym, though.

and in a hospital? he wouldn't got past the entrance here - we have metal detectors and I imagine it could easily be used as a weapon

 

[LadyL]

We too have been for multiple MRI's for my husband over the past 3 years. But, I was really far away from the actual MRI room each time. So I guess different places vary.

I'm now reading that the wife says she needed help getting up after the MRI (nothing about screaming for him) and so she asked the technician to bring her husband into the room. Why the technician didn't assist her is unclear. She also says they'd been to the same clinic before and that her husband and the technician had talked about his chain - she seems to assume that the technician would remember every patient and their spouse's attire. I'll admit a big chain might be memorable (it's not *that* big, it can pass as a kind of jewelry, I guess).

Nassau County woman recalls harrowing experience of her husband being pulled into MRI machine

The incident happened Wednesday afternoon at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, Long Island.

longisland.news12.com

Here's a picture of a similar chain. In digging a bit more into this product, it would appear that these weight lifting neck chains (which can also be wrapped around the wrist or fist to use as a barbell) are six feet long. This particular chain is the same weight (20 lbs) as the one in the story. Well, it's 20.5, on their specifications page. So it can be worn looped and I can't even begin to imagine how that would look. Triple wrapped, it would be equivalent to a 24" necklace, which is a pretty common size. They provide a little ratchet tool to secure it in a loop, can't imagine that it would come off easily.

I would bet that this man did not know that the MRI magnet was always on, creating a significant magnetic field even after his wife's knee MRI was completed. I also bet there will be a huge lawsuit over this incident.

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yeah I don't agree with people suing in an accidental situation but if it's true the tech had even seen him wearing the necklace before, I am surprised they wouldn't have sought advice on how to keep this man with his giant chains away from the room and the machine - it's gotta be something that was talked about with other staff IF the tech saw it previously

it's a terrible tragedy for the man, his wife and the tech who had to witness it

 

[LadyL]

For people saying he should have known the risk, I have been there while a relative had a MRI and this case is the first time I've heard the magnet is always on.

So I step back on my earlier comment that he.must have barged into the room, and I think we need clarity on whether he believed his wife was panicking during a MRI and went in, or was she finished with the MRI and needed help standing up?

I've never had anyone even talk about the magnet, just make sure all my metal items are off. One guy even pointed out my pony tail band with it's tiny, miniscule bit of metal that I had forgotten to take off.

I bet it's listed in those waivers you have to sign though.

 

[Bounceycat]

and in a hospital? he wouldn't got past the entrance here - we have metal detectors and I imagine it could easily be used as a weapon

No, the MRI was not done in a hospital. It was in a free-standing medical office building. Not even on a hospital campus. That's why they had to call 91 to take him to the hospital, where he later died.

 

[LadyL]

No, the MRI was not done in a hospital. It was in a free-standing medical office building. Not even on a hospital campus. That's why they had to call 91 to take him to the hospital, where he later died.

oooh ok I didn't read those details

 

[ChatteringBirds]

A lawsuit has been filed, so maybe we will find out exactly what happened.

https://people.com/widow-of-man-who-died-fatally-sucked-into-mri-machine-files-lawsuit-against-clinic-11951108

 

[PrairieWind]

Reading some of these more recent articles, I think she has a pretty good case. I don't think the clinic staff did much if anything to ensure he was safe to be around the machine. I went with my wife once when she had and MRI since she was very scared. I got asked a lot of questions, filled out paperwork/releases, had to remove jacket, shoes, belt, turn out pockets, remove rings, etc. And this guy walked in with a huge chain around his neck? I don't think the clinic staff were doing anything to secure the room.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I don't think the clinic staff were doing anything to secure the room.

Is there an article that gives the clinic's version of what happened? At what point did they realize he was entering the room?

For safety reasons they actually couldn't and wouldn't lock her into the room. But there would have probably been a sign, in my opinion. What do you think the staff should have done differently? Honestly asking.

 

[PrairieWind]

Is there an article that gives the clinic's version of what happened? At what point did they realize he was entering the room?

For safety reasons they actually couldn't and wouldn't lock her into the room. But there would have probably been a sign, in my opinion. What do you think the staff should have done differently? Honestly asking.

My wife did an MRI years ago and was scared so I went with her. She was screened, taken by the nurse/tech to prepare. I was sat down filled out paperwork, asked a lot of questions about metals, was a I welder or grinder (might have shards in my skin, and advised I had to take off all jewelry while they watched, and I think they only allowed me in with my pants, shirt, no shoes. That was an imagining office, not the hospital. They were pretty thorough. I don't understand how this guy got clear back there with such a chain. I think the clinic is likely gong to be very much on the hook at least in part. Uncleared people just can't be in those areas.

 

[tlcya]

My wife did an MRI years ago and was scared so I went with her. She was screened, taken by the nurse/tech to prepare. I was sat down filled out paperwork, asked a lot of questions about metals, was a I welder or grinder (might have shards in my skin, and advised I had to take off all jewelry while they watched, and I think they only allowed me in with my pants, shirt, no shoes. That was an imagining office, not the hospital. They were pretty thorough. I don't understand how this guy got clear back there with such a chain. I think the clinic is likely gong to be very much on the hook at least in part. Uncleared people just can't be in those areas.

I am very curious to learn the specifics around how he came to enter that room so freely. I find it very difficult to believe that staff allowed and even encouraged it as he suggests. Should be an interesting suit to follow.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

don't understand how this guy got clear back there with such a chain. I think the clinic is likely gong to be very much on the hook at least in part. Uncleared people just can't be in those areas.

What if he just barged right in? We don't know.

 

[PrairieWind]

What if he just barged right in? We don't know.

And that may be what happened, but since these machines are so dangerous, it shouldn't be possible. There should be locked doors between public access and the MRI machines.