Getting an MRI? Take off your patches

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Some skin patches designed to release medication contain metal that can cause burns during an MRI, and their labels do not include an appropriate warning, the Food and Drug Administration said today.

‘The risk of using a metallic patch during an MRI has been well-established, but the FDA recently discovered that not all manufacturers include a safety warning with their patches,’ said Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

The magnetic field of the MRI imager does not attract the patch’s metal, but it can induce an electrical current that causes it to heat up, producing burns. The agency did not say how many burns had been reported.

The warning extends to both prescription patches and over-the-counter patches, such as anti-smoking aids that release nicotine. If you wear any kind of a patch and require an MRI, consult with the doctor or physician first to determine whether you should remove it, the agency said.

-- Thomas H. Maugh II