FDA Warns Wearing Masks With Metal During MRI Can Cause Burns

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning after a patient wearing a face mask that had metal in it was burned while getting a Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, scan, the New York Post reports.

“It is appropriate for a patient to wear a face mask for an MRI exam during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the FDA said in a safety communication on Tuesday. “Before the MRI begins, health care providers who perform MRI exams should confirm the face mask has no metal. Some face masks have metal strips to help shape the mask to the face of the user, nanoparticles, or antimicrobial coating, which may contain metal (for example, silver or copper). The metal could result in radio frequency (RF)-induced heating. This may represent a hazard for MR imaging during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The agency also noted that it “received an injury report for a patient who was wearing a face mask with metal during a 3 Tesla MRI scan of the neck. The report describes burns to the patient’s face consistent with the shape of the face mask.”

It adds, “Burns from metal objects worn by a patient during an MRI exam are a known issue and patients should not wear any metal during an MRI. Given the increased use of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA wants patients and health care providers to be aware of the potential risk of face burns related to the use of patient face masks containing metal during an MRI.”

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