MRI scans are strong diagnostics with high-definition images of what lies inside a body. Strong magnetic fields require precaution, as brought out by an instance where a young woman suffered very serious injuries due to an oversight in a metallic core within a silicone sex toy that she happened to have before the MRI scan. This makes a stark reminder about the potentially deadly consequences of missing metal objects when such procedures are being performed. In April 2023, a 23-year-old woman went into an MRI with a silicone plug containing a metal core that was not known.

She thought that the item is made entirely out of silicone according to the advertising. However, the strong magnetic field of the MRI machine interacted with the hidden metal, dragging the object through her body and causing excruciating pain. According to reports from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the scene was harrowing, with the woman screaming in agony and requiring immediate hospitalization. Despite pre-scan screenings, which are routine prior to a scan, the patient did not inform the facility that the object existed because he presumed it was purely non-metallic. This caused serious injuries that led to the patient's law suit against the manufacturer for deceitful misrepresentations of material content.

MRI machines employ magnets between 0.5 to 3 Tesla (T). This is thousands of times stronger than the Earth's magnetic field. The tremendous force causes ferromagnetic materials, like iron and nickel, to be magnetized quickly and become strongly attracted toward the magnet. Objects as small as hairpins or paper clips will accelerate at 40 miles per hour inside the magnetic field.

The force can lead to catastrophic injuries in items lodged within the body, such as metallic implants or foreign objects. Metallic cores within devices, like pacemakers or intrauterine devices, must be disclosed to radiologists to prevent such complications.

How Metal Objects Interact with MRI Fields?

On these claims, Dr. Adam Taylor, a specialist in human anatomy, weighed his words in a international health website and added that the distance away and mass of this object would increase its velocity towards that of sound, "The acceleration would be phenomenal, but with a metallic core, it can't go anywhere near supersonic speeds. As for the size, the magnetic acceleration to the internal soft tissues would ensure that there could be severe intracranial trauma."

The injuries inflicted in this case likely involved damage to major blood vessels, nerves, or organs, highlighting the devastating impact of even minor oversight during an MRI scan.

This is not an isolated case. There are documented cases of metallic objects causing serious damage during MRI scans with a 65-year-old man with schizophrenia swallowed metal objects, including sockets and a hinge pin. The powerful magnetic field during an MRI scan caused the objects to rupture his stomach, resulting in serious injuries.

A toddler who ingested 11 small magnets perforated his bowel while undergoing a scan, making his case unique. In another deadly but extremely rare incident, there have been people who hide a firearm on themselves during MRI procedures. Magnetic attraction can trigger a discharge in a weapon and has led to some fatal injuries.

These cases emphasize the very strong need for adequate screening and patient education prior to an MRI.

Preventing MRI-Related Incidents

Medical professionals have been trained to avoid risks. This is by properly screening a patient for metallic objects. In general, most pre-scan protocols include:

• Patients are interrogated about implants, recent surgery or exposures at work related to metals.
• Radiologists sometimes use handheld metal detectors to search for hidden items.
• People who work with metal, like welders or machinists, will need additional testing to detect microscopic metal fragments within soft tissues or eyes.

The case emphasizes the importance of product labeling by manufacturers, especially those products that are likely to unintentionally cause harm to health. The patient's assumption that her device was 100% silicone points to a larger problem in consumer markets with misinformation.

It also reminds the patients to report any possible dangers to the medical professionals, no matter how the objects look non-metallic. In sensitive cases, patients can request private discussions with healthcare providers to ensure safety without discomfort.

In the end, it is a joint effort from manufacturers, healthcare professionals, and patients that can prevent such tragedies. Manufacturers must ensure truthful marketing, while healthcare providers should educate patients about the dangers of metal objects in MRI settings. For patients, understanding the risks and actively participating in pre-scan disclosures can be lifesaving.

This young woman's experience is a sobering example of the unforeseen dangers posed by MRI machines when precautions are overlooked. It serves as a wake-up call to address gaps in patient awareness, medical protocols, and product transparency. By learning from this incident, the medical community and the public can work together to ensure MRI scans remain a safe and effective diagnostic tool.

In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court today allowed passive euthanasia for a 32-year-old man, living in a vegetative state for the last 13 years.

A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan allowed the withdrawal of life support for Harish Rana, a resident of Ghaziabad, who has been in a coma and kept alive on tubes for breathing and nutrition after sustaining severe head injuries following a fall from a building in 2013 in Chandigarh.

It is the first known case of a court-ordered passive euthanasia in India, since it was legalised in 2018 and modified in 2023, recognizing the fundamental right to die with dignity.

"Harish Rana, presently aged 32 years, was once a young, bright boy. He met with a tragic life-altering accident after a fall from the fourth floor of his paying guest accommodation. His brain injury left him in a condition of Persistent Vegetative State (PSV) with 100 percent quadraplegia... Medical reports show that his medical condition has not improved in the past 13 years," LiveLaw quoted the bench as saying.

The Court noted that the continuation of his treatment -- Clinically Administered Nutrition (CAN) via surgically installed PEG tubes -- can just prolong his biological existence but will not lead to any therapeutic improvement.

What Is The Case Of Harish Rana?

Harish was a BTech student in Chandigarh who suffered severe traumatic brain injury after falling from the fourth floor of his paying guest accommodation in August 2013.

Since then, he has remained bedridden and dependent on others for all activities of daily life.

Harish's father, the petitioner, first approached the Delhi High Court in 2024, seeking permission for passive euthanasia, but was rejected as the patient was not terminally ill.

The same year, the petitioner knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court, which, though it refused to entertain the plea, directed the Uttar Pradesh government to bear the treatment expenses.

In 2025, the petitioner filed a miscellaneous application in the Supreme Court, noting that Harish's condition had no scope for improvement.

The Court then directed the constitution of a Primary Medical Board led by the District Hospital in Noida to examine his health, as well as a Secondary Medical Board constituted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

After perusing the report, Justice Pardiwala remarked that it's a "sad report" and the man can't continue to live like this. Before passing the final order, the Court met the parents, LiveLaw reported.

The Court has asked AIIMS to provide palliative care, so that the withdrawal of CAN can be given effect to.

To maintain the dignity of death, the apex Court said that the life support must be withdrawn with a tailored plan.

1st Passive Euthanasia: What's New From The 2018 Judgment

In 2018, a five-judge Constitution Bench had recognized and given sanction for passive euthanasia, and living will/advance directives.

Later in 2023, the SC modified the guidelines, noting that withdrawal of life support is permissible only after the approval of the Primary and Secondary Medical Boards.

With the Harish Rana judgment, the apex Court today clarified how passive euthanasia should be applied in cases where a patient’s life is being supported by feeding tubes.

The top Court waived off the reconsideration period of 30 days and noted that the medical treatment, including the CAN administered to the patient, can be withdrawn or withheld.

What is Passive Euthanasia

Passive Euthanasia allows a terminally ill or irreversibly comatose patient to die naturally. It involves deliberately withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatments (like ventilators, feeding tubes, or medication). It has been legal since 2018, but under strict guidelines.

In Active Euthanasia, patients are administered a lethal injection to cause death. It is illegal in India and considered an offence.

The Aruna Shanbaug case in 2011 opened the door for passive euthanasia in India for the first time.

The top Court rejected euthanasia in the case of Shanbaug, a nurse at Mumbai's KEM hospital who was in a vegetative state for 42 years after an assault in 1973, as the hospital staff who cared for her for decades did not support stopping treatment.

Shanbaug continued to be under care and passed away naturally in 2015

However, in her case, the court made the judgment allowing for passive euthanasia in certain rare situations under strict conditions.

In the wake of a shocking incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, where two engineers allegedly died within 48 hours of undergoing hair transplant surgery by a dentist, the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists (IADVL) and the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India (APSI) have pressed the need for stricter rules for aesthetic and hair restoration procedures.

The doctors raised concerns about patient safety and called for ramping up training standards, even as many such cases where unqualified medical practitioners performed aesthetic procedures leading to severe infections, loss of sight, and many complications have been documented from across the country.

Traditionally, these procedures were performed by specialists such as dermatologists and plastic surgeons trained under the regulatory framework of the National Medical Commission (NMC).

However, experts said the issue has become more complicated after the Dental Council of India (DCI) allowed MDS dental surgeons, under provisions of the Dentists Act, 1948, to perform certain aesthetic procedures and hair transplantation.

“Aesthetic procedures and dermatology demand additional training. In addition to the MBBS degree, a dermatologist training program requires three years of residency at a postgraduate level in dermatology at certain accredited medical schools,” Dr Vinay Singh, President IADVL said.

He added that the training also includes a condensed curriculum of various skin ailments, hair problems, and advanced procedures in dermatology.

“Allowing professionals without comprehensive medical training in skin diseases, hair disorders, and surgical complication management to perform such procedures could dilute training standards and increase risks for patients,” warned Dr. Rajat Gupta, Senior Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Delhi.

The experts also pointed out that hair transplant is a modern medical procedure and should only be conducted by Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) who are specialized in that area.

Also read: Fact Check: Popular Hair Loss Treatment Ingredient Could Trigger Chest Pain

Dr. Aditya Aggarwal, Senior Consultant Plastic Surgery, Medicity Medanta Hospital, shared that the surgery requires knowledge regarding the biology of the skin, the disorders of the hair, how to manage infections, and how to manage complications.

The associations urged the government to issue comprehensive guidelines and ensure strict implementation of existing regulations to curb quackery and safeguard public health.

Further, they advised the patients to verify the doctor’s qualifications and registration with the state medical council before undergoing any skin, hair, or cosmetic treatment.

The public must remain alert and avoid falling prey to misleading advertisements or treatments offered by unlicensed practitioners, the experts said.

About 6 million people in India's capital city are living with several vision problems, such as poor distance vision or near vision, according to a recent study by doctors at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

The study, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences at AIIMS, and submitted to the World Health Organization (WHO), also flagged major gaps in eye care services in Delhi, the Times of India reported.

An estimated one-third of the population in the national capital was identified with refractive errors or presbyopia -- conditions that can usually be corrected with a pair of glasses. Globally, 826 million people suffer from presbyopia.

About 70 percent of older adults in the capital city were identified with the problem.

Alarmingly, about 13.1 percent school-going children had refractive errors, Dr. Praveen Vashist, professor and head of community ophthalmology at AIIMS, was quoted as saying.

Gaps In Eye Care

The study showed a lack of access to vision correction. While just 60 percent of people needing distance vision correction could access care, those with near vision correction could access care in over 47 percent of cases.

Further, the doctors found:

• women had the lowest access to spectacles compared to men
• lack of trained eye care workers,
• the affordability of spectacles,
• limited outreach to vulnerable groups -- elderly patients, rural women, and economically weaker populations.

But Dr. Vashisth noted that Delhi currently has only 1,085 ophthalmologists and approximately 489 optometrists.

Further, only 50 community-level vision centers, out of the has 249 eye care institutions in the city were found to be functioning. Moreover, only about 25 percent of children were receiving free spectacles through public health initiatives.

Global Eye Burden

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.2 billion people worldwide have near or distance vision impairment. Of these, at least 1 billion cases could be prevented with increased access to eyeglasses and cataract surgeries

The WHO identifies refractive errors and cataracts as the leading causes of vision impairment and blindness.

Vision loss can affect people of all ages; however, most people with vision impairment and blindness are over the age of 50.

Here's how to maintain a healthy vision:

• Eat fruits and veggies, especially leafy greens like spinach, kale, and fish like salmon and tuna, to protect your sight.
• Be physically active, as being overweight or obese can increase risk for diabetes and other conditions that can lead to vision problems.
• If your vision gets blurry, use glasses to help you see better.
• Always wash your hands before putting them close to your eyes, especially if you’re putting in or taking out contact lenses.
• Use protective eyewear while playing a favorite sport or mowing the lawn
• Wear your shades to prevent the sun’s rays from hurting your eyes.
• Give your eyes a break with the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look about 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
• Quit smoking as it can put you at risk of serious eye issues, leading to blindness.