HORROR CASE
Woman suffers horrific injuries after sex toy is ‘dragged up through her body’ by magnets during MRI scan
Plus, the protocol you need to follow before an MRI scan
A WOMAN was left with horrific injuries after leaving a sex toy inserted during a scan.
The patient had the toy in her back passage when she went for the MRI, which resulted in a dangerous reaction with the scanner.
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An MRI scan uses strong magnets and radio waves to create highly detailed images of the inside of your body, and it's important to remove any metal objects from your body before having one.
But, unbeknown to the woman, the sex toy she had inserted - which she thought was 100 per cent silicone - actually contained metal in its core.
An image of the item being dragged up through the patient's body has been circulating online, prompting warnings against wearing any metal objects during a scan.
The picture was shared in May last year by X user 'DreadPirateZero', who captioned the post "Never wear a butt plug to your MRI appointment. My god...."
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The post claimed the toy was pulled through the patient's rectum and up into their chest cavity at the "speed of sound" and that the patient survived with "major injuries".
Prior to MRI scans, radiographers will usually check if patients have any metal in their pockets.
In this case, the patient didn't disclose the sex toy as she thought it didn't contain any metal - as the company had apparently sold it as.
The exact details of what happened remain unclear, but a report filed a day before the image was shared to the internet told of a 22-year-old patient left "screaming" after undergoing an MRI scan and rushed to hospital.
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The unnamed health professional who filed the report said: "She went in for the MRI and when the MRI was over and the tech was pulling the table out the patient started to scream.
"The patient stated that she felt nauseous, was in pain, and felt like she was going to pass out.
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"An ambulance was called for this patient and she was sent to the hospital.
"The patient was checked out by the radiologist at the site before transport to ensure the patient was doing okay.
"The patient has not returned any of our calls yet to try and follow up to see how she is doing."
The magnets used in MRI machines are extremely powerful, typically ranging from 0.5 to 3 Tesla (T), which is significantly stronger than a refrigerator magnet (around 0.001 Tesla) and roughly 100,000 times stronger than the Earth's magnetic field.
Metals like iron, nickel, and cobalt are strongly attracted by the MRI's magnetic field and can be pulled towards it.
The powerful magnet in an MRI machine can magnetise metallic objects, which can then be pulled towards the magnet with such force that the metal can crack open or rip through soft surfaces, like human skin.
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The strong magnets used during the scan can also affect any metal implants or fragments in your body, such as a pacemaker.
The NHS advises: "Having something metallic in your body doesn't necessarily mean you can't have an MRI scan, but it's important for medical staff carrying out the scan to be aware of it.
"They can decide on a case-by-case basis if there are any risks, or if further measures need to be taken to ensure the scan is as safe as possible."
Professor Adam Taylor, an expert in human anatomy at Lancaster University, told the sex toy was unlikely to be moving "at the speed of sound".
"The speed at which ferromagnetic materials move in an MRI field is proportional to the mass of the object and how far away from the magnetic field it is," he said.
"Things such as paper clips or hairpins would easily reach 40mph if within the field.
"As this 'toy' was predominantly silicone with a metallic core, there is potential that it moved at speed but not close to the speed of sound."
Professor Taylor added the injuries likely caused are damage to major blood vessels, nerves or organs causing traumatic injury and potentially even death.
There have been cases in the past where patients have swallowed metal objects and been horrifically injured during an MRI scan.
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A detailed a 65-year-old man with schizophrenia who ingested two AA batteries prior to an MRI scan.
He developed severe abdominal pain and had to go to the emergency department the following day with hypovolemic/septic shock.
Before an MRI scan
An MRI scan is a painless procedure that lasts 15 to 90 minutes depending on the area being scanned.
Before the scan you'll be advised to follow certain protocol.
On the day the scan is happening, you should be able to eat, drink and take any medication as usual, unless you're advised otherwise.
You'll also fill out a questionnaire about your health and medical history to help medical staff ensure you have the scan safely.
As the MRI scanner produces strong magnetic fields, it's important to remove any metal objects from the body.
This includes:
- watches
- jewellery, such as rings and necklaces
- piercings, such as ear, nipple and nose rings
- dentures (false teeth)
- hearing aids
- wigs (some wigs contain traces of metal)
Source: NHS
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