Alabama hospital latest to notify patients of possible CT radiation over-exposure

Huntsville Hospital, a Joint Commission-certified stroke center in Huntsville, Ala., is contacting 60 patients who may have received similar radiation doses with CT brain perfusion as those who were overexposed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The hospital noted it became aware of the dosage due to the recent FDA recommendations. Earlier this week, the agency issued interim recommendations in response to its ongoing investigation of radiation overexposure.

Huntsville also said that all hospitals that perform CT perfusion brain scans “learned from the FDA that patients who undergo these scans may potentially develop temporary hair loss and temporary redness of the skin. If these temporary conditions occur after a perfusion scan, they typically do so within a few weeks.”

Though the 900-bed provider is not commenting on any specific patient’s case, the letter said that it takes “all matters involving our patients as serious.”

According to numerous media reports, several other hospitals have also acknowledged potential CT radiation patient over-exposures—including Providence St. Joseph Medical Center and Glenville Adventist Medical Center in Los Angeles County—however, this is the first hospital outside of the state of California.