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.

As the true number of COVID-19 cases and deaths is believed to be higher than reported, a new study suggests that the actual toll of long COVID may also double than the current estimates.

The research, led by Mass General Brigham, found that many long COVID cases remain hidden because current surveillance systems rely heavily on diagnostic codes that fail to capture a large number of patients.

Using a novel AI algorithm, researchers analyzed medical records of nearly 460,000 COVID-19 patients across 58 hospitals in the United States. The findings showed that approximately one in six people — around 16 per cent — developed long COVID, translating to more than 18 million Americans.

The figures are nearly double current estimates and highlight the growing burden of chronic health conditions following COVID-19 infection. The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

“Over 10 million people with long COVID would go entirely undetected by the diagnostic code that health systems and policymakers rely on to track the disease burden,” said corresponding author Hossein Estiri, a faculty member in the Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine.

“The figures we uncovered are almost certainly an undercount,” he added.

Researchers noted that current diagnostic coding systems, including the ICD code U09.9 for post-COVID conditions, identify fewer than 7 per cent of long COVID patients.

What Did The Study Find?

Also read: 16 Million Indians Die Due To Hypertension Every Year: AIIMS Doc

The study analyzed electronic health records from 457,950 patients who had previously tested positive for COVID-19 across four US regions — New England, Southeast Texas, Southern California and Western Pennsylvania.

Overall, 16.3 per cent of patients were identified with long COVID, with regional rates ranging from 13.6 per cent to 22.7 per cent.

The researchers also found significant regional differences in long COVID symptoms and related conditions, including varying rates of prediabetes, which is emerging as a possible long-term effect of COVID-19.

The study authors noted that undocumented infections — which became more common after widespread testing declined — were not included in the analysis. Patients without long-term medical records were also excluded, suggesting the actual burden of long COVID could be even higher.

“These patients are not absent from clinical care; they are absent from the diagnostic code that would identify them as long COVID patients,” said lead author Jiazi Tian, a data scientist in the Clinical Augmented Intelligence Group at Mass General Brigham.

“The cardiologist seeing new dysautonomia, the endocrinologist seeing new metabolic disease, the neurologist seeing unexplained cognitive complaints — some of these presentations are long COVID arriving without the label that would connect them to a COVID-19 infection,” Tian added.

What Is Long COVID?

Read More: Can Extreme Heat Trigger Heart Palpitations? Expert Explains Risks

Long COVID refers to symptoms that continue for three months or longer after the initial COVID-19 infection.

Common symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Brain fog
• Headaches
• Breathlessness
• Altered sense of smell or taste

Researchers say many long COVID conditions are still being studied, and some people may experience multiple symptoms at the same time.

US President Donald Trump this week underwent his third annual medical check-up during his second term and declared that it went “perfectly well”.

Trump, who turns 80 next month, visited the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a routine health examination on May 26. The medical check-up, conducted after about 13 months, reportedly lasted around 3.5 hours.

“Everything checked out PERFECTLY,” Trump wrote on social media.

However, neither Trump nor the White House has disclosed detailed medical findings, leading to renewed speculation about the health of the oldest American President.

The concerns come amid visible signs of deterioration observed during several public appearances. These include persistent bruising on his hands, micro naps during public meetings, slurred speech, and frequent factual mix-ups — all of which have raised questions about whether information regarding his health is being withheld.

The White House had earlier explained that the bruises on Trump’s hands were caused by “frequent handshaking” combined with aspirin use.

Trump Link His Conditions To Stroke

Doctors have also speculated that his slurred speech may indicate signs of a recent stroke.

Dr. Bruce Davidson, a professor at Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, discussed the issue during an appearance on The Daily Beast podcast. He said his interpretation was based on observing Trump’s physical behavior and speech patterns over time.

“Earlier in the year, there was video of him shuffling, and I thought that was weird,” he said on the podcast.

He suggested that such movement patterns can sometimes be seen in patients recovering from strokes.

Despite the speculation, Trump has continued to defend his mental sharpness and cognitive abilities.

“So I’ve taken (a cognitive test), and I’ve aced it all three times, I’ll tell you, because it is a positive thing,” Trump said. “It starts off with an easy question. And by the time you get to the middle, it gets tougher.”

Previous Medical Reports Declared Him Healthy

According to a White House summary of Trump’s previous annual medical examination in April last year, he was found to be in “excellent cognitive and physical health”.

“A comprehensive neurological examination revealed no abnormalities in his mental status, cranial nerves, motor and sensory functions, reflexes, gait, and balance. Cognitive function, assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), was normal with a score of 30 out of 30,” White House physician Captain Sean Barbabella wrote.

There were also tests for depression and anxiety, and Trump recorded scores “within the normal range for both,” although exact numbers were not disclosed.

Scans conducted in October also reportedly showed that Trump was in “excellent overall health”.

In a landmark order, the Supreme Court of India has recognized the Right to Trauma Care as an integral part of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The court issued comprehensive, time-bound directions covering the entire trauma chain of survival — comprising the inter-linked and coordinated chain of survival from the site of injury to definitive hospital care — aiming to strengthen emergency medical response and ensure timely access to trauma care across the country.

The directions, issued in SaveLIFE Foundation & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors., are binding on all 36 States and Union Territories. They cover the full spectrum of traumatic injuries, including:

• Road crashes

• Falls

• Burns

• Drowning

• Industrial accidents

• Fires

• Explosions

• Disaster-related trauma

In its the apex Court stated that “a uniform framework for trauma care, building public awareness, standardization of first aid skills, and proper Good Samaritan laws is required, since the right to trauma care of citizens is an integral part of the right to life enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.”

Why Is The Order Significant?

India records approximately 4.67 lakh accidental deaths every year from road crashes, falls, burns, drowning, industrial injuries, violence, and disasters.

Of these, road crashes alone account for approximately 1.77 lakh deaths annually. As per the 201st Report of the Law Commission of India, 50 per cent of those killed in road crashes could have been saved had they received timely emergency medical care.

The NITI Aayog-AIIMS Emergency and Injury Care Report (2021) found that at least 30% of all trauma-related deaths in India are attributable to delays in emergency care.

Despite the scale of preventable loss of life, India had no unified, enforceable national trauma care framework. Responses compiled from 34 States and Union Territories and placed before the Court revealed a deeply fragmented system, including inconsistent ambulance standards, unintegrated emergency helplines, absent trauma registries, ungraded hospital facilities, and patchy implementation of centrally mandated schemes.

The petition was filed by SaveLIFE Foundation in October 2024.

Also read: Ebola: Inside India’s RT-PCR Tests For The Bundibugyo Strain| Explained

What Has The Supreme Court Ordered?

The Supreme Court’s directions cover nine domains of the trauma chain of survival. All States and Union Territories are bound by these directions, with compliance to be reported before the Court-appointed monitoring authority.

1. Integration of a single national emergency number — 112 — within three months.
2. Establishment of grievance redressal systems to protect Good Samaritans who provide emergency assistance to trauma victims.
3. Establishment of a National Medical Rescue Protocol for trauma cases.
4. Addition of all registered ambulances — public and private — under the National Ambulance Code (AIS-125, December 2014). The Court also mandated GPS or Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) fitment and real-time integration with helpline 112, along with periodic audits covering response times, quality of care, equipment, and outcomes.
5. All States and Union Territories have been directed to adopt and implement the standardized Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) curriculum notified by the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) within three months.
6. States and Union Territories must establish State Trauma Registries linked to a Coordinated Trauma Registry within four months of the issuance of these guidelines.
7. All States and Union Territories have been directed to grade and designate all public and private medical facilities according to trauma care capacity within three months.
8. Cashless treatment for trauma victims under the PM RAHAT scheme.
9. All States and Union Territories have been directed to undertake sustained, multilingual, district-level awareness campaigns covering all the above within one month.

Compliance Mechanism

The Court has also directed that copies of its order be sent to the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories, who are required to submit Action Taken Reports to the Registry of the Supreme Court within the timelines prescribed for each direction.

The matter is expected to be listed after four months for issuance of further directions based on the compliance reports received.