FDA Seeks to Stop Overexposure to CT Radiation

On Monday federal health officials gave recommendations to help lessen radiation risks during CT brain perfusion scans, often done on stroke patients. The interim guidelines come as part of an ongoing investigation that began in October, when the FDA discovered more than 200 cases of overexposure—up to eight times the normal amount of radiation—at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Since then more cases have turned up in two more California hospitals, with another unconfirmed case in Alabama. The overdoses involve CT scanners made by GE and other manufacturers.

Here are the recommendations according to the FDA web site:

• Facilities should access whether patients who underwent CT perfusion scans received excess radiation.
• Facilities should review their radiation dosing protocols for all CT perfusion studies to ensure that the correct dosing is planned for each study.
• Facilities should implement quality control procedures to ensure that dosing protocols are followed every time and the planned amount of radiation is administered.
• Radiologic technologists should check the CT scanner display panel before performing a study to make sure the amount of radiation to be delivered is at the appropriate level for the individual patient.
• If more than one study is performed on a patient during one imaging session, practitioners should adjust the dose of radiation so it is appropriate for each study.

The recommendations apply to all CT perfusion scans, including those of the brain and heart, the FDA says.

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