Widespread overuse of CT scans and variations in radiation doses caused by different machines -- operated by technicians following an array of procedures -- are subjecting patients to high radiation doses that will ultimately lead to tens of thousands of new cancer cases and deaths, researchers reported today.
Several recent studies have suggested that patients have been unnecessarily exposed to radiation from CTs or have received excessive amounts, but two new studies published Tuesday in the Archives of Internal Medicine are the first to quantify the extent of exposure and the related risks.
By Challen Stephens December 15, 2009,
HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Patients who may have received high doses of radiation during routine brain scans filed a class action lawsuit in Alabama today, accusing the manufacturer, G.E. Healthcare, of poor safety features in the design of the scanner.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently found that that CT perfusion scans, which are used to check for blockages and injuries in the brain, provided hundreds of patients in Los Angeles and Huntsville with roughly eight times the recommended radiation levels.
