Personal Injury Law

Radiation Overexposure from Stroke Scans Causes Hair Loss, May Lead to Future Illnesses

By Jamie G. Goldstein

Over 400 patients received overdoses of radiation at 8 hospitals in the United States while undergoing CT brain perfusion scans. CT perfusion scans are used to generate an image of the brain used to diagnose strokes. The problem was discovered after patients undergoing the scans had their hair unexpectedly fall out in a clearly defined ring pattern around their heads. After the scans, some patients said they felt sick and confused. The embarrassing new hair style was difficult to conceal and caused these patients needless emotional trauma and anxiety. Most seriously, experts say that long-term these patients could be at increased risk for brain damage, cancer, and possibly eye problems.

CT perfusion scans are loosely regulated. The scan requires a large dose of radiation, but there is no standard for how much is too much. Some patients received up to 8 times the recommended amount of radiation. The FDA began an investigation into the scans in 2009 but thus far has not made any conclusions.

Some hospitals admitted to using extreme amounts of radiation in order to get 'clearer images.' Others blame the manufacturers (including Toshiba and GE) for their protocols issued on using the machines or the poor training of technologists combined with a lack of understanding about radiation treatments. Others point the finger at GE for a feature on their brand of scanners that automatically adjusts the amount of radiation based on patient size. Although it purportedly reduced radiation, amounts actually increased when other settings were adjusted.

The use of CT scans has increased drastically over the years, from around 3 million per year in 1980 to 72 million in 2007. Going forward, there need to be dosing standards for radiation so patients can get the least amount of radiation while getting an image of the brain accurate enough to use for diagnosis. These machines also need be designed with safety controls in mind so patients are not being overexposed to radiation.

Full post as published by Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer on August 03, 2010 (boomark / email).