After discovering that as many as 400 patients across the country - with concentrations of patients in Alabama and California - received excessive amounts of radiation while undergoing standard CT scans and other treatments, federal and state authorities want to make sure that such a mistake doesn't happen again.
In October 2009, a preliminary investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that several hospitals had been using higher-than-necessary doses of radiation when performing sensitive tests. Specifically, radiation overdosing seemed to be occurring in CT perfusion scans, those used to diagnose blood clots and blockages in the brain. As more information comes out about the overdoses, the blame game is on - device manufacturers blame hospitals and vice versa, and everyone seems to blame individual technicians responsible for administering the tests. After all this time, though, no clear answer has emerged for the full extent of the damage done, though additional sources of blame, including medical software distributors, hospital staffing levels and even doctor malpractice have been named.
What Are the Effects of Radiation Overexposure?
Those patients who received additional radiation while undergoing CT perfusion scans at hospitals in Alabama and California were, in the grand scheme of overdose injuries, lucky.
Slight amounts of overexposure can cause:
· Hair loss
· Memory loss
· Dizziness
· Forgetfulness
· Low-grade burns (similar to a sunburn)
· Increased risk of future cancers
On the other hand, extremely excessive levels of radiation are often fatal. The reason that radiation works so well to treat cancer is that it destroys the genetic material in cancerous cells, making it impossible for those cells to reproduce in the future. Tragically, that same benefit is exactly what makes exposure to superfluous radiation so dangerous: the radiation not only kills cancerous cells, but healthy ones as well. When wounds are inflicted or other harm occurs by excessive amounts of exposure, the body does not have the ability to heal.
High-level radiation overexposure can cause:
· Open wounds
· Severe burns
· Infection
· Bone death (leading to the removal of portions of the patient's skeletal structure)
· Cancer
· Paralysis
· Amputation of gangrenous limbs
· Chronic pain
· Loss of bodily functions
The FDA investigation into incidents of excessive radiation used in CT perfusion scans is ongoing, so no clear cause has been determined. If you or a loved one has been injured by a radiation overdose, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Afterwards, consult an experienced personal injury attorney in your area to learn more about your legal rights and any options you may have to recover compensation for the harm you have suffered.
