Hundreds Sue Over Dangerous Radiation Exposure From Botched CT Scans

More than 200 patients have filed a class-action lawsuit against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and a medical device manufacturer after they claim they were exposed to dangerously high levels of radiation during mishandled CT scans.

According to a report in the Torrance Daily Breeze, the patients had brain scans as part of testing for diagnosing strokes and were subjected to radiation that was as high as eight times the recommended levels. As a result, the patients say they were injured and now face increased risks of cancer and other medical complications.

State health officials are still investigating the exposure problems, which were first reported on October 9. The botched handling of the CT scans reportedly occurred at the hospital during an 18-month period beginning in February 2008. During that time, hundreds of patients had the exams and may have been exposed to dangerously elevated radiation.

The lawsuit seeks class-action certification, which if granted by a judge would allow many more patients who were similarly injured to join the litigation and seek financial compensation and other damages. The suit asks for general damages, past and future economic damages including cost of medical care, monitoring and treatment, loss of earnings, and attorneys’ fees, among other costs, the Breeze reports.

Plaintiff Brought Botched Procedures to Light

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are Cedars-Sinai and GE Healthcare Technologies, which manufactured the CT scan machines used in the testing. Plaintiff Trevor Rees of Los Angeles claims he underwent a perfusion CT scan at Cedars-Sinai on Dec. 22, 2008 and a second scan two days later.

Within days, Rees says he experienced hair loss including the eye brows, flaking of the scalp, reddening and burns, and other symptoms of radiation exposure, the Breeze reports. Rees said the hospital contacted him about nine months after the test to ask if he had experienced any side effects, but did not mention that elevated radiation may have caused his symptoms, his suit states.

The Food and Drug Administration has said while the overexposure was reported at Cedars-Sinai, many more patients given CT scans and other hospitals may have been similarly injured. The number of injured patients could be massive, they said.

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