California public health officials are currently investigating a series of medical errors committed by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Over the past 18 months, 206 patients received high doses of radiation during CT brain scans.
According to a statement released by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, patients were exposed to eight times the normal dose of radiation during CT scans used to diagnose strokes. The medical error was discovered in August after a patient reported hair loss following a CT scan. Several other patients have also suffered temporary hair loss and skin-reddening.
Public health officials have discovered that the machine in question has been set to a higher radiation level since February 2008. The hospital has notified all patients who received a CT scan from this machine during this time period.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a warning to hospitals across the country about the potential dangers of radiation from CT scans and asked all hospitals to review their safety procedures. Excessive doses of radiation pose a serious hazard to patients. Cedars-Sinai may potentially face a series of medical malpractice lawsuits as a result of this egregious error.
If you have been the victim of a medical error in the Los Angeles, California area, please contact the medical malpractice lawyers at Jacoby & Meyers today to schedule your free initial consultation.
