Full title: A 44-year-old man went to the hospital after pus began oozing from his chest, where doctors discovered a knife that had been embedded in his body for eight years. According to the report, he showed no signs of chest pain, breathing problems, coughing, or fever, and was otherwise in good health.
Lucky they didn’t go straight for the MRI
I have worked so much with lathes and milling machines, that I fear having to have an MRI.
I bet I’m full of small bits of sharp metal. In fact, I have a macro photo of my finger full of tiny needles.
If you get scheduled for an MRI they will specifically ask if you have worked as a machinist. If you answer yes, they make you go to a location that can take x-rays before letting you in the MRI machine.
At least, that’s what happened when I had to schedule an MRI.
I don’t want to argue, but that’s not universally true at all.
I have had many MRI procedures over the years, at almost as many individual locations and in multiple countries. This was never a question.
I was asked. There was a 10 minute phone interview to ask all the ways I might have metal in me. The tech was apologetic and said they have to ask individually because people forget or don’t know things can put them at risk.
Permanent makeup and micro bladed brows, for instance won’t rip out of your body but older inks with iron in will heat up and burn your skin.
I’m in California, if that matters.
I wonder if this rather specific question about being a machinist is particularly a US phenomenon.
I’ve only ever been asked if I have the typicals. “Any metallic items on or in your body such as piercings, jewelry, surgical implants?”
The questions never pertained to occupation, let alone being a machinist or involved with metalwork.
Perhaps the question is geared to cover as many bases as possible to reduce the legal attack surface for a malpractice lawsuit. The US is a notoriously litigant landscape when it comes to personal injury.
They asked me of I had welded or done metalwork. I had my head X-ray to make sure there wasn’t any metal in my eyes.
I’ve had metal in them before so it ease worth checking and they definitely asked first.
I imagine, I too would be familiar with medical intake processes if I farted glitter.
Surprisingly, this is not on the list of questions!
I’m a nurse who has been filling out the the MRI pre screening form a few times a month for a long time in multiple US states and I’ve never seen one that didn’t mention metal work and shrapnel.
You wouldn’t be after that MRI, I’ll tell you that
Skin pushes small things out, but if you get one of the really strong 80lb neodymium magnets and mount it on a wall you can test if there’s anything there buried.
why don’t they have metal detectors on the doors leading to the MRI?
My guess? They’re not sensitive enough for small bits, but could still lead to staff complacency.
i think small bits like tattoos are just painful, but there should be one for the bigger items that always ends up in the news, like the guy who brought in a gun
That’s an excellent question. I guess they never thought of it?
Possibly because a standard magnetometer cannot detect reactive elements down to the level that would be affected by a giant insane field associated with an MRI?
A simple xray, or a pass-through of a single metal detector at a court house is one thing….
…but Imagine a tattoo with ferrous ink. In a simple airport magnetometer, it’s no thing. In an MRI it’s ripped out of flesh.
Basically tattooing itself can be a very wild scenario. I caught artists in Tunisia making do and had a friend shooting cats in Cuba as we provided ink.
Because medical drama shows need the unexpected surprise moment