The family of a man from Long Island, who died in a bizarre accident involving an MRI machine, is blaming a technician for his death.
This unfortunate event took place at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury on Wednesday afternoon. Keith McAllister, aged 61, was drawn into the machine due to its strong magnetic pull and was trapped for almost an hour before being released.
McAllister had accompanied his wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, who was undergoing a knee scan at the facility.
His daughter, Samantha Bodden, stated that the MRI technician left the room during the procedure to help McAllister’s wife, without warning him about the risks of having metal near the machine.
Nassau Open MRI states on its website that anything metallic should be removed prior to an MRI, including hearing aids, partial plates, dentures, jewelry and hair pins.
On a web page detailing the benefits and risks of MRIs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes that “the strong, static magnetic field will attract magnetic objects (from small items such as keys and cell phones, to large, heavy items such as oxygen tanks and floor buffers) and may cause damage to the scanner or injury to the patient or medical professionals if those objects become projectiles.”
The FDA also notes that “adverse events” related to MRI scans are “very rare.”
Kenneth J. Perry, M.D., an emergency medicine attending physician in Charleston, South Carolina, told Fox News Digital that the best way to prevent these types of accidents is to have a “robust MRI protocol” in place.
Fox News Digital reached out to Nassau Open MRI requesting comment.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
