A man Inhalation MRI machine Long Island police in New York said they died of serious injuries he suffered.
Nassau County police said the man wore a large metal chain and entered the MRI room while performing a scan in Nassau in Westbury on Wednesday.
Police said Friday that the 61-year-old man died of his injuries the day after the incident occurred at the hospital.
Police said a witness told them he had left the room against orders after hearing the patient and his relative screaming while scanning.
Police said the magnetic machine pulled the chain around his neck as he entered, which also attracted him.
Doctors follow strict MRI safety protocols
MRI machines are particularly dangerous around people who have oxygen tanks, wheelchairs or wear magnetic jewelry. That’s why doctors and staff at North Shore University Hospital told CBS News New York that patients were told to remove all metal and electrical objects before scanning.
“It’s like trying to get into the middle of the center of the magnet,” said Charles Winterfeldt, director of imaging services at the hospital.
“The danger can be disastrous, which emphasizes why we take all the safety precautions,” Dr. Payal Sud said.
Experts say that when magnets pull animals from the inside of the room, there is little damage and death tied to the MRI machine.
Nassau, which has multiple locations in the New York area, rejected a preliminary request for comment from CBS News New York.
