LA’s Cedars-Sinai hospital blames computer-resetting error for exposing patients to radiation
By APTuesday, October 13, 2009
LA hospital: Error caused 206 radiation overdoses
LOS ANGELES — Hospital officials say a computer-resetting error caused radiation overdoses for 206 patients who underwent CT scans at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
In a written statement Monday, hospital officials said “a misunderstanding about an embedded default setting applied by the machine” resulted in a higher than expected amount of radiation.
Officials say the 206 patients received eight times the normal dose of radiation — an error that went undetected for 18 months. A hospital spokesman says about 40 percent of the patients lost patches of hair as a result.
The scanners’ manufacturer, General Electric, says the machine was not defective.
As a result of the discovery, the FDA issued an alert Thursday urging hospitals nationwide to review their safety protocols for CT scans.
Information from: Los Angeles Times, www.latimes.com
