Personal Injury Law

Third Area Hospital Included in Radiation Overdose Investigation

By Greg Owen

A third Los Angeles area hospital is now included in an investigation led by the US Food and Drug Administration looking into radiation overdoses that patients have received from a specific type of brain scan. The expansion suggests that the issue may be nationwide.

Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank now joins Cedars-Sinai and Glendale Adventist Medical Center as the latest Los Angeles area hospital under scrutiny. An Alabama hospital is also under investigation for similar problems with CT brain perfusion scans, a procedure used most often to diagnose strokes.

Unlike the other cases, which involved scanners made by General Electric, the scanner at Providence St. Joseph was made by Toshiba -- adding a new dimension to the investigation.

Angelo Bellomo, head of environmental health for the L.A. County Department of Public Health, said 34 patients appear to have received excessive radiation at Providence St. Joseph over a 20-month period ending in October.

The problem was discovered by Los Angeles County radiation safety inspectors and reported to the FDA last week, FDA and county officials said.

A woman in Alabama reported that she was likely given an overdose of radiation in a hospital in early September. According to attorney Rick Patterson, of Valencia, CA, based Owen Patterson & Owen, 59-year-old teacher, Becky Coudert, received a CT brain perfusion scan Sept. 8 at Huntsville Hospital. While the scan ruled out a stroke, Becky was left with a large bald strip on her head stretching from ear to ear. Her medical records indicated that she received a greater amount of radiation than those at Cedars-Sinai.

Hospital were instructed Monday to review radiation guidelines before using all CT perfusion scanners.

If you or someone you know may have received an unnecessary dose of radiation please contact our office at 866.654.4947.

Full post as published by Glendale Personal Injury Lawyer on December 08, 2009 (boomark / email).