WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal health regulators are investigating reports of
dangerous radiation levels at two more California hospitals, following earlier
unsafe medical scans at a Los Angeles facility.
The Food and Drug Administration is probing the use of CT scans at Glendale
Adventist Medical Center and Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank,
Calif. The brain scans are used to diagnose strokes.
FDA officials told reporters Monday that they are investigating at least 10
reports of excessive radiation at Glendale Adventist and an unspecified number
of problems at St. Joseph.
A spokeswoman for Glendale Adventist said the problems, first disclosed last
month, were related to a specialty scan that involves three different
techniques.
''This procedure has been discontinued,'' Alicia Gonzalez said in a statement.
A spokeswoman for St. Joseph Medical center had no immediate comment.
The FDA began looking into problems with CT scanning in October after patients
at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles reported losing hair or skin
redness. The hospital last month said 260 patients were exposed to excess
radiation, up from prior reports of 206.
A Cedars-Sinai spokeswoman said the hospital continues to work with the FDA to
identify the cause of the problems.
FDA officials say it's unclear whether the dangerous exposures are being caused
by human error or a problem with CT equipment.
Cedars-Sinai and Glendale Adventist both use scanners from General Electric. But
FDA officials said they have received reports of problems at other hospitals
using different brands of scanners, including models from Toshiba.
GE spokesman Arevind Gopalratnam said in a statement ''there were no
malfunctions or defects in any of the GE Healthcare equipment involved.'' He
added that the company is cooperating with the FDA's investigation.
Agency officials said they also are investigating reports of dangerous CT
scanning in Huntsville, Ala., although they did not specify a hospital.
The FDA urged all hospitals and medical facilities to review radiation dosing
guidelines to make sure procedures are followed for each scan. Officials have
also advised manufacturers to review their training for CT scanner operators.
''While we do not know yet the full scope of concern, the facilities should take
reasonable steps to double-check their approach to CT perfusion studies and take
special care with these imaging tests,'' said Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, acting
director of FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
The average American's total radiation exposure has nearly doubled since 1980,
largely because of CT scans, according to recent studies. Medical radiation now
accounts for more than half of the population's total exposure; it used to be
just one-sixth.
The risk from a single CT scan is small, but overexposure can increase the risk
of cancer.
CT scans became popular because they offer a quick, relatively cheap and
painless way to get three-dimensional pictures so detailed they give an almost
surgical view into the body. Doctors use them to evaluate trauma, belly pain,
seizures, chronic headaches and other woes.
Source : THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
