Don’t Get Burned at Your Next MRI

by Theresa Watts

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that patients risk potentially severe burns if they wear certain kinds of transdermal patches when having an Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan. Skin covered by these patches can be burned when the patches’ outer aluminum-containing layer is heated by the MRI’s magnetic field.

Women who wear patches for birth control or menopause hormone therapy do not need to worry, because these products do not contain aluminum. Some patches used for smoking cessation or management of blood pressure or pain do, however, contain metal. Unfortunately, aluminum in transdermal patches is not always clearly labeled and, while the metal sometimes can be seen when it reflects light, this is this is not always the case.

The FDA recommends that patients inform their referring doctor and MRI facility that they wear a patch both when making the appointment and when providing their health history, and that patches should be removed before an MRI. Until the FDA evaluates the safety issues resulting from this situation, the NWHN believes that patients should continue to follow the FDA recommendations and remove all transdermal, medicated patches before having an MRI. For more information and a list of patches that may cause burns during an MRI, see the FDA’s website, http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/advisory/transdermalpatch.htm.

Theresa Watts is an RN and MPH student at George Washington University and NWHN volunteer