Med Mal News

Cedars-Sinai, the Los Angeles-based hospital giant, has issued official apologies to the 260 patients who were exposed to excess radiation when they underwent CT scans at the hospital. The offending scanner at Cedars Sinai had been incorrectly recalibrated early in 2009 but the problem did not come to light until the summer, after a patient who had undergone a CT scan complained of hair loss. The apologies were made in letters sent in November to those affected, signed by Cedars Sinai's chief medical officer. The notices also informed affected patients that 20% of them might have suffered damage to their eyes, which could make them prone to developing cataracts. The hospital has offered to pay the medical costs of those who can show that health problems are related to their overexposure to radiation, which was reportedly eight times the normal level received during CT scans.