The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

At one of the most famous hospitals in Los Angeles, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 206 patients were exposed to 8 times the normal dose of radiation during CT (Computed Tomography) brain scans. The patients were given scans over an 18-month period from February 2008 to August 2009 on a CT machine set to a higher dose than normally used. The report prompted the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to issue a nationwide warning to hospitals to review their safety and quality assurance protocols for CT scans. Included is a basic reminder that dose indices are displayed on the control panel and that people performing scans should know what an expected dose should be.

During the 18 months that this machine was used at its elevated setting, more than one patient experienced signs of high radiation doses, including reddened skin and hair loss. It was the latter symptom which finally lead hospital officials to investigate the machine and discover it had been set to a higher dose.

As a result of the higher dosing, patients were exposed to as many as 4 grays of radiation to the head, instead of the expected 0.5 grays. A gray is a measure of radiation absorbed per kilogram. For comparison, a set of dental x-rays typically results in a brain exposure of 0.005 milligrays, or 0.000005 grays. A full-body exposure of 8 grays is considered lethal.

At this point, no medical malpractice lawsuits have been filed, but if they are, they will most likely be for what is known as hospital malpractice. In this type of lawsuit, an entire facility is held responsible because systematic errors by numerous persons contributed to the error. If any person during the 18 months that these 206 scans were conducted had actually checked the dosage, further patients could have been saved from dangerous radiation exposure.

When you undergo a CT scan, it is worthwhile to ask your doctor how much radiation you will be exposed to, and even to ask that they check the dosage on the machine. Also, you should look for signs of acute radiation exposure, including:

• Nausea and vomiting: the closer to the scan, the higher the dose
• Red skin
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Hair loss
• Bloody stool or vomit
• Poor wound healing

These symptoms may be delayed by several days. If you experience any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor right away.

If you believe you have been exposed to excessive doses of radiation or otherwise been injured through medical malpractice, the medical malpractice attorneys at the Los Angeles office of The Cochran Firm stand ready to help. Please contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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