That’s right, a guy getting an MRI in Colorado had a nail, purportedly stuck in his nasal cavity for approximately 30 years, wriggled loose and he coughed it up shortly after the exam! Follow the link below to view the video (after a short, but annoying commercial):

News video on MRI’s and nails in noses!

Ferromagnetic detection systems have caught a variety of unusual and unsuspected magnetic objects before they entered the room with the giant MRI magnet, but at the time I write this, no ferromagnetic detection system has been approved for finding things internal to the body of a person… even nails.

Would it have been possible for a ferromagnetic detection instrument to find an inch-long nail at a distance of an inch or two, say buried inside a beef roast? Yes, but it would depend greatly on the instrument and the conditions in which it was operated.

I don’t recommend sticking ferromagnetic materials in orifices just to test the sensitivity of your detector (a friend of mine did this with a BB in his ear… took several days to get it out). If you have questions about your instrument, ask the manufacturer.

And whatever you do, don’t go putting nails (or anything else, for that matter) up your nose!