Metallic, medicated patches could cause skin burns, FDA warns

ROCKVILLE, Md. People undergoing magnetic resonance imaging scans may suffer skin burns if they wear certain medicated patches, according to a warning issued by the Food and Drug Administration Thursday.

The warning includes branded, generic, prescription and OTC patches.

The FDA said warnings were absent from the labeling of some transdermal patches that contained aluminum or other metals in their non-adhesive backing. While not attracted to the MRI’s magnetic field, the metal can conduct electricity, which generates heat and can cause burns.

“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,” FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research director Janet Woodcock said in a statement. “Because the metal in these patches may not be visible, and the product labeling may not disclose the presence of metal, patients should tell both their healthcare professional and their MRI facility that they wear a medicated adhesive patch.”