Radiation Overdoses In California Stroke Scan Patients Widespread
As recently reported in the New York Times, the number of radiation overdoses experienced by patients receiving stroke scans is more widespread than previously thought. At least 400 patients received “higher-than-expected” radiation doses at 8 hospitals – including 6 in California, such as the University of South California Medical Center, Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, and an unidentified hospital in San Francisco.
As a result of excessive radiation, several patients noticed hair loss, often in the form of a band of hair missing around the entire circumference of their head.
Although not every bad outcome constitutes medical malpractice, if you’ve received medical treatment and suffered an unexpected or unfavorable outcome, you may want to ask yourself the following questions:
• Is your condition worse following treatment?
• Are your post-treatment symptoms commonly associated with the medical treatment you received?
• Is your physician able to give a satisfactory explanation for your symptoms?
The New York Times reports that not only were a greater number of people affected by the “stroke scan” overdose than initially believed, but also the effects were more serious. In addition to hair loss, those receiving radiation overdoses risk possible memory loss, brain damage, and cancer.
Other findings by the New York Times include a lack of oversight and training of both the hospital technicians and the manufacturers of the scan equipment. According to interviews, some of the personnel didn’t know how to operate the equipment while others used high levels of radiation to improve the quality of the images.
Further, despite the excessive doses of radiology, regulatory agencies such as the FDA did not step in - primarily because hospitals stated no mistakes were made.
For the most part, we obtain medical care that makes us feel better – we start on a road to recovery, doctors perform a necessary surgery or treatment, or we find answers to our health concerns.
However, sometimes mistakes happen and our care goes horribly wrong. If you believe you may have been harmed while obtaining medical treatment, please contact the attorneys at Bostwick, Peterson & Mitchell, a San Francisco law firm dedicated to fighting for the legal rights of victims.
