Decades ago when our son was a preschooler, a physician ordered an MRI of his brain in an attempt to understand his decreased sensation in one of his hands. The scan revealed a small area in his brain, only 1/32 of an inch in depth, that is not typical. We know now that it is likely the result of a small event, similar to a stroke, that occurred early in his life, likely in the birth process. The effects of this condition are simply a part of his identity. He is dramatically left-handed. He does not suffer significant disability as a result of this and has been successful in his career and in his roles as husband and father.

The discovery of the small brain anomaly was relatively rare at that time. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines were new and had not been used in many cases and were vary rarely employed on children. The machines are noisy and require the patient to lie very still. Our son was sedated in order to obtain the diagnostic images. In addition to the discovery of the tiny area in his brain, doctors were concerned at what they thought was an atypical brain stem angle. We were advised of this condition and it was recommended that repeat studies be conducted. For a while we followed the recommendations, taking him in for repeated MRI studies. After a while, however, when the test results were always the same, I questioned the frequency of the tests and the need for repeated sedation of our son. Our family physician made inquires and the orders for repeated tests were withdrawn. Later we learned that there never was an abnormal brain stem angle. There had been so few MRI test of the brains of young children that the range of what was determined “normal” was based on too small of a sample. It turns out that our son’s brain stem was always within the normal range. Doctors just didn’t realize what that range was.

As a result, though I have never been the subject of an MRI study, I have considerable experience with the machines. I was present in the study room for each of our son’s studies. I could view the machine and see him in it. Even though all of the technicians and attendants stepped out of the room when the machine was in use, I was allowed to remain with our son. Prior to entering the study area, I was advised of the precautions that were taken. First of all, I was to have no metal on my person. My keys, belt buckle, and any other metal I had brought with me was placed in a locker. My wallet was also placed in that locker because of the magnetic strips on credit cards. My glasses were left in the locker because of their metal content. I was outfitted with a personal dosimeter to record my exposure to radiation. I was taught and questioned by technicians and signed a release before entering the room. Our son was dressed in only a hospital gown and did not take any personal property into the exam room.

MRI machines have powerful magnets. There are at least two reported cases of accidents with the machines involving family members who were near the devices while their family members were being examined. In 2018 a man in India was killed when an oxygen tank he was holding next to an MRI machine was pulled toward the magnet and broke flooding his lungs. According the the McClatchy News, last February a Brazilian gun advocate was accompanying his mother while she underwent an MRI scan in São Paulo when the weapon he was carrying in his waistband was pulled out by the magnetism of the machine and triggered, fatally injuring him. I was unable to find any information in either case about what, if any, precautions were taken in either case to inform the accompanying family members about the risks of being near the machine. I know that in my case, I was advised of the dangers of taking any metal into the room.

Last June a 57-year-old patient was properly screened by technicians prior to her examination in an MRI machine manufactured by GE Medical Systems according to a Food and Drug Administration report. She was asked if she had any potentially magnetic objects on her person to which sh answered, “no.” As she went to lie down in the bore, or circular opening of the machine, a shot rang out. The patient was carrying a concealed weapon that she had not disclosed during the pre-procedure screening. The weapon was triggered. A shot rang out. The woman was struck in the right buttock. She was immediately examined by a physician who was present and the report describes the entry and exit holes as “very small and superficial, only penetrating subcutaneous tissue.” Nonetheless she was taken to the hospital, as per protocol, and later told doctors she was “okay and healing well,” according to the FDA report.

She joins the Brazilian who was attending his mother and the man in India who held an oxygen tank next to an MRI machine, on a very short list of people who have been injured by taking metal near an MRI machine. At the same time she joins a very long list of people who have been injured or killed by their own concealed weapons.

Weapons manufacturers and dealers along with gun advocates advocate the use of concealed weapons as a safety measure. Because the weapons are concealed there is no accurate count of how many people routinely carry loaded weapons into places where they pose risks to those who carry them and to others. The facility where the woman was injured has signs that specifically prohibit the carrying of any weapons into it. Those signs were not seen or were ignored by the injured woman.

People obtain and carry loaded weapons to increase their sense of security, but in many cases the real effect of the behavior is exactly the opposite. They are more at risk than if they were not carrying the weapon.

When I went to the hospital with our son all those years ago, it never occurred to me that I might want or need a weapon. I have never owned a handgun. I have never needed one to feel safe. I’m happy to report that so far my buttocks are uninjured. I hope to keep it that way.