FDA steps in on CT radiation overdoses
Patient Safety Monitor Alert, November 10, 2010
Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Patient Safety Monitor Alert!
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), after investigating reports concerning computed tomography (CT) brain profusion scans accidently exposed patients to excess radiation in hospitals in California and Alabama, has identified steps to enhance safety of procedures involving CT scans.
The investigation discovered at least 385 patients received excess radiation from such scans in five California hospitals and one in Alabama. The FDA concluded that it is likely improper use of scanners, not a problem with the scanners themselves, resulted in the brain scan overdoses. The steps given were sent to Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance, the main distributor of CT machines. They include a console notification to alert the operator of a high dose of radiation and a separate user manual just on dosing.
Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Patient Safety Monitor Alert!
Related Products
Most Popular
- Articles
-
- Featured blog post: Nurses face felony charges after reporting physician to the Texas Medical Board
- Topic: CMS, OESS post new security compliance review information, checklist
- Q/A: Volume requirement for reporting hydration services
- HIPAA Q&A: Answering service messages
- News and briefs: Oklahoma Osteopathic Association against residency bill change
- What does case-mix index mean to you?
- QA:Coding multiple initial infusions
- State medical board will hear unprofessional charges against OB-GYN
- OB services: Coding inside and outside of the package
- Capturing all necessary codes for IUD insertion and removal can be challenging
- E-mailed
-
- Featured blog post: Nurses face felony charges after reporting physician to the Texas Medical Board
- Are your workforce members texting PHI?
- Don't let these sentinel events trigger falsely
- Arkansas woman convicted for HIPAA violation
- Q/A: Coding infusions to correct low potassium levels
- Q&A: Coding for protein malnutrition
- Q&A tackles coding questions about injections and infusions
- Joint Commission Center announces handoff communication solutions
- Inside best practice: Reduce patient falls with a stoplight
- Identify modifiable risk factors to prevent patient falls
- Searched
