CT Scan Patients Have Been Harmed by Over-Radiation

On August 1, 2010, The NY TIMES broke the story, but this has been going on for years.  Were you injured by a CT Scan?  If any of the following symptoms describe what happened to you, you may have been given an excessive dose of radiation.

According to the Times, "When Alain Reyes’s hair suddenly fell out in a freakish band circling his head, he was not the only one worried about his health.

Did this happen to you? Were you burned by a CT SCAN?

A circular pattern of hair loss ringing around the back or side of the head is a telltale sign that you have received an overdose of radiation from a CT Scan. According to recent research into this, you may have received 10x as much radiation as you should have, and 2000x as much as an x-ray delivers.  That is a lot of radiation.

It turns out that the CT Scan test that many people think is routine is actually very dangerous. And the distinctive band or ring of hair loss is the sign that this has happened. 

Many times a CT Scan of the brain is given at a hospital during a test for a stroke.  The procedure, is referred to as a CT brain perfusion scan, can result in this overdose of radiation.

Hair Loss is Not the Only Problem. 

In fact, the brain is being directly damaged by these high doses of radiation, resulting in symptoms that include fogginess, loss in memory, and a long-term risk of brain cancer. 

The NY Times wrote that: Patients who received overdoses in Huntsville say that in addition to hair loss, they experienced headaches, memory loss and confusion.

These are all signs of brain damage and clearly suggest that the patient at a higher risk of cancer as a result of their exposure.

A Widespread Problem

The sources of the problem include poorly designed software and poorly trained technicians.  The machines are simply not designed to allow the technician to properly deliver the correct dose of radiation and the technicians are not trained well enough to know that they are delivering a toxic dose.  Worse yet, GE Healthcare knows that many hospitals think that the scanners work best with the higher levels of radiation to get clearer images, but it appears that GE has not taken steps to stop this from occurring or to warn against this practice, if it is even occurring for that reason. 

The hospitals dispute any misuse of the machines.  According to the NY Times article, the hospitals have said that no mistakes were made, and the FDA did not investigate this any further.  Clearly the FDA was not looking at the large numbers of people who have been overdosed!  A full investigation is now clearly warranted.

Did You Suffer a CT Scan Radiation Overdose?  Contact Our Lawyers Today.

Did you or a family member suffer serious injuries, hair loss, headaches, memory loss, confusion after a CT Scan?  If the answer is yes, take action now and contact Anapol Schwartz personal injury law firm with offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia.

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