Latest news with #MRIs
Extra.ie
22-07-2025
- Health
- Extra.ie
Man died after 9kg weight training chain pulled him into MRI machine
A man in the US has died after a 9kg weight training chain that he was wearing pulled him into an MRI machine. Keith McAllister, 61, entered a room at the Nassau Open MRI clinic when his wife was having a scan of her knee done, when he was pulled into the machine by his neck due to the large chain he was wearing, and the MRI machine's large magnetic force. Mr McAllister was wearing a large chain, which he used for weight training, around his neck when he was pulled into the machine. He suffered several heart attacks following the tragic incident and was later pronounced dead. A man in the US has died after a 9kg weight training chain that he was wearing pulled him into an MRI machine. Pic: Getty Images Mr McAllister's wife, Adrienne Jones McAllister, explained to 12 News that she was calling out for her husband to help her off the machine's table when tragedy struck. 'I yelled out Keith's name, [shouting] 'Keith, come help me up,' Ms Jones McAllister said. 'I saw the machine snatch him around and pull him into the machine. He died, he lost. He went limp in my arms.' Police said that the incident resulted in Mr McAllister having a medical episode, with him later dying from multiple heart attacks in hospital. Keith McAllister passed away from several heart attacks that he suffered after his weight training chain pulled him into the machine as his wife's knee was being scanned. Pic: GoFundMe A GoFundMe has since been started to raise funds for Mr McAllister's funeral, with his daughter writing 'Keith was a husband, a father, a stepfather, a grandfather, a brother, and an uncle. He was a friend to many. He was on a fixed income from Social Security and didn't have much.' MRI machines use strong magnetic fields to create imagery of inside the body to check for injuries, with 'very powerful forces' exerted on metal objects including jewellery, pacemakers and rods from previous injuries. Incidents are rare, but fatal — with a six-year-old boy passing away in Westchester, Pennsylvania, when he was undergoing an MRI and an oxygen tank flew into the chamber after it was drawn in by the powerful magnets. MRI machines use powerful electromagnets to create an image of the inside of the body, with metal implants being strictly forbidden as the magnetic fields pull them into the machine. Pic: Getty The dangers of MRIs were also shown in the latest Final Destination film, Final Destination Bloodlines, when two characters were killed by a malfunctioning machine — one character who had a wheelchair impale against him, while another character had a coil from a vending machine kill him. MRI machines usually range from 1.5 Tesla to 3 Tesla, which can be around 60,000 to 100,000 times more powerful than the Earth's magnetic field.
Ottawa Citizen
21-07-2025
- Health
- Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa woman's MRI cancelled after mentioning her family doctor retired
Article content Lisa Kis booked time off work, fasted, drove across the city and paid for parking on her way to a long-awaited MRI appointment. When she got there, she was turned away. Article content The reason? Her family doctor had retired. Article content The situation left the Ottawa woman — who works in the health-care field — in disbelief. 'An MRI is a pretty serious thing. It never occurred to me I would be turned away.' Article content Article content Now Kis is looking for answers for herself and thousands of people like her who are trying to navigate Ontario's health system without a family physician. Article content Article content 'When I started walking back to the car (after being turned away from the MRI appointment) I wanted to cry because I was so frustrated. I know wait times for MRIs are long. What about people who have something seriously wrong?' Article content In 2024, doctors found spots on Kis's liver and advised her to undergo a follow-up MRI a year later to see whether they had changed or grown. Article content Her doctor put in a requisition in January and Kis's appointment was set for July 16. But then her doctor retired in April. Article content Kis regrets mentioning at the check-in that her doctor had recently retired. As soon as she did, she was told by an apologetic health worker that the MRI could not go ahead because there was no way to bill for the MRI if her doctor had retired. She was also told that the situation should have been explained to her when the MRI was booked – something that Kis noted was done through an automated system. 'I talked to no one.' Article content Article content Now her only option is to go to a walk-in clinic to make a case for another referral, something that she fears will put her at the back of the lengthy queue for an MRI in Ottawa. Article content Article content In a letter to Premier Doug Ford, Health Minister Sylvia Jones and others, Kis wrote: Article content 'Millions of people in Ontario do not have a family MD, as you know. I am fortunate that otherwise I am in good health. I would hate to think of an elderly person with respiratory or mobility issues going to the effort of attending this appointment for nothing, including no food/water in a heat wave. Article content Her experience with an MRI is not the first time Kis has struggled to get needed healthcare since her doctor retired. Article content Earlier this year, she received a letter from Cancer Care Ontario informing her that she should get a FIT (fecal immunochemical test), which is the recommended colon cancer screening test for people with average risk to detect cancer early.
Barnama
18-07-2025
- Health
- Barnama
HRPB Adopts PACS For Digital Radiology Storage, Boosts Healthcare Efficiency
IPOH, July 18 (Bernama) -- Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (HRPB) here has adopted the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), a move expected to improve diagnostic efficiency, accelerate patient treatment and reduce reliance on film and physical storage space. Perak Health Department deputy director (Medical) Dr Roniyuzam Abd Malek said the move aligns with the government's efforts to digitalise the national healthcare system. He said PACS enables radiology images such as X-rays, CT scans and MRIs to be stored, accessed and shared digitally, eliminating the need for physical film. 'This also facilitates data sharing within the Ipoh cluster hospitals, reduces the risk of medical errors and enhances patient safety. 'I am confident PACS will benefit not only doctors and radiology staff but the entire healthcare team, as timely and accurate treatment starts with efficient diagnosis,' he said at the state PACS handover ceremony, which was also attended by HRPB director Dr Saiful Azlan Sharif here today. Dr Roniyuzam said the Radiology Department previously faced challenges such as lengthy data retrieval processes, rising film printing costs, and the growing patient load. 'There was also the risk of misplaced films, and repeated radiography tests would increase patients' radiation exposure, particularly among children. 'Therefore, the implementation of PACS at HRPB marks a significant step forward in the digital evolution of healthcare services,' he said. The PACS project at HRPB is part of the Health Ministry's strategic initiative to provide efficient and secure digital storage and access for radiology images.
Global News
09-07-2025
- Health
- Global News
Winnipeg man pays for back surgery in Mexico to avoid long wait times at home
In December, 60-year-old Dean Simpson injured his back after slipping and falling on some ice. The nerve running down to his left leg was pinched between two discs, causing him pain he described as feeling like a drill bit going through his bones. He was in so much agony that he barely left the house. A month and a half following his injury, Simpson knew the wait to receive medical care could be much longer. 'I got a letter from St. Boniface Hospital MRI, and the letter said 'We will contact you again in three months, to let you know how much longer you're going to be waiting for an MRI,'' Simpson recalls. Simpson was then told by a health-care worker that it could be an additional six- to twelve-month wait for surgery to fix the problem. The pain was getting worse, and he decided he couldn't bear it for that long. Story continues below advertisement In June, Simpson and his wife flew to a private clinic in Mexico. There, he had an MRI scan and was scheduled for surgery within days. But the price tag — paid out of his own pocket — was more than $30,000. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I don't think we'll ever pay it off,' says Simpson. 'That's going to just sit on the line of credit and we'll have to make interest payments on it until we sell the house, basically.' He's elated that the pain is now gone, but he has lost much of the use of his left foot. With great effort, he can lift it slightly off the ground, but cannot move it laterally, and has very little sensation. With time and intense physiotherapy, Simpson may regain some movement, but he believes he would have full use of his foot if he'd been diagnosed and treated sooner. He also worries he may have lost the use of his foot entirely if he had waited longer. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara says Manitobans shouldn't have to take such drastic measures to get care. 'We're training more MRI technicians and we're doing the work of making sure the program and training they need is direct entry, so a faster path to that career choice,' says Asagwara. 'But we know there's more work to be done here. This is not something that gets solved overnight.' Story continues below advertisement The Manitoba NDP have made multiple promises to cut down diagnostic and surgical wait times. Asagwara says they have increased the overall number of MRIs being offered in the province, and last month launched a mobile MRI unit in the Northern Health region to take pressure off Winnipeg Hospitals. In a statement, Shared Health says their diagnostic department has been 'implementing initiatives aimed at reducing MRI wait times for lower back pain and knees.' The health authority added they are upgrading software on MRIs across the province and adding more evening and weekend staffing capacity. In Winnipeg hospitals, median wait times range from 17 weeks at the Health Sciences Centre to 46 weeks at St. Boniface Hospital, according to data from the province's website. Simpson says it's unreasonable for anyone to have to wait that long. 'You know that a cure is there, that you can feel better. But you're just being told, six months to a year, six months to a year, six months to a year.'
Los Angeles Times
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers' sparkling record masks problems exposed during series loss to Astros
When the Dodgers left Los Angeles for their final road trip before the all-star break last summer, they had a 55-36 record and a 7 1/2-game lead in the National League's Western Division. That team went on to win the World Series. When this year's Dodgers land in Milwaukee on Sunday night to begin the last road trip before the all-star break, their record will be a game better and their division lead about the same, pending the results of San Diego's game Sunday night. But if you take a good look under the hood, there are obvious — and worrying — differences between this year and last year. In 2024, the Dodgers had one of the best records in baseball against teams with a winning record. After Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Houston Astros, this year's team is just a game over .500 — 20-19 — against teams over .500. Those are the only kind of teams the Dodgers will face in the playoffs. And it's not just that they lose, it's how they lose that's troubling. In losing three in a row for the first time since mid May, the Dodgers were outscored 27-8 by the Astros. The sweep was Houston's first in a three-game at Dodger Stadium since 2008, when the team played in the National League. Look a little deeper and there are other concerns. The Dodgers' injured list, already as crowded as a Beyoncé concert — it swelled to 12 players with Max Muncy's addition Thursday — could get even larger this week depending on the results of MRIs on outfielder Tesoscar Hernández and utility player Tommy Edman. Hernández, who fouled a ball off his left foot Saturday, spent 13 days on the IL with a groin problem in May and has been troubled by that injury and a nagging hip-flexor issue that could be behind a slump that has seen him hit .188/.240/.321 during his past 30 games. Edman didn't play Sunday after hitting a ball off the small toe on his right foot over the weekend. That left manager Dave Roberts with a short bench. And with the rotation still missing four starters to injury, he gave the ball to right-hander Emmet Sheehan, who had thrown just four big-innings all season. Sheehan went one better Sunday, allowing just a run on five hits over five innings. But his teammates did little against Houston starter Ryan Gusto (6-3), who gave up four hits — including a run-scoring double to Dalton Rushing — over six innings. Will Klein came on in favor of Sheehan to start the sixth and after two quick outs, the Astros loaded the bases on a double, a hit batter and an infield single. Klein then walked Zack Short on a 3-2 pitch to force in the go-ahead run. The Astros padded their lead with back-to-back homers from Christian Walker and Yainer Díaz to start the seventh off reliever Tanner Scott. Jose Altuve closed the scoring with another solo homer off Anthony Banda in the ninth.
