Patient Death Illustrates the Importance of Adhering to Safety Precautions in Magnetic Resonance Environments (Hazard Report August 6, 2001)

Problem A recent incident, widely reported in the news media, occurred in a magnetic resonance (MR) scan room of a hospital near New York City. According to reports, a young patient suffered a fatal blow to the head from a metal oxygen canister that flew into the MR system where the patient was lying. While the details of the incident have not yet been disclosed, the New York Times account of the incident (July 31, 2001) stated that a “metal oxygen tank somehow made it into the examination room.”