Personal Injury Law

FDA aims to rein in radiation-based medical scans

By Hurley, McKenna & Mertz

As a personal injury attorney in Chicago, who has seen the effects of radiation gone bad, I fully support the FDA in their new initiative to rein in radiation overdoses.
In response to a problem that has becoming increasingly apparent for decades, ?the Food and Drug Administration is working with doctors and medical manufacturers to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure from medical scans.? (2/9 Washington, AP).

The FDA says it will soon require manufacturers of CT scanners and other imaging machines to include safety controls that prevent patients from receiving excessive radiation doses. This initiative is part of a multifaceted scheme to reduce radiation-based injuries.

One study discovered that ?the average American's total radiation exposure has nearly doubled since 1980, largely because of CT scans, according to recent studies.? Whereas medical radiation used to account for one-sixth of the population?s total exposure, it now accounts for more than half.

Full post as published by Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog on February 22, 2010 (boomark / email).