Radiation Malpractice
The FDA is investigating Cedars-Sinai Hospital for radiation errors concerning a CT scan that transmitted higher than normal levels of radiation. The problem appears to have been occurring since February 2008 when a CT scan’s radiation levels were set too high.
The FDA noted, “The magnitude of these overdoses and their impact on the affected patients were significant,” the federal agency said, warning that undetected overdoses put “patients at increased risk for long-term radiation effects.”
The patients who received the CT scans received 8 times the regular dosage of radiation for a normal CT scan.
It is noteworthy and perhaps significant that the FDA issued a nationwide alert and did not specifically name Cedars-Sinai Hospital in their alert. It is quite possible this overdosage in radiation is not an isolated incident.
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