17 Dec Unsettling New Findings regarding CT Scans
It is terrifying to think about, but sometimes the tools used to diagnose illness can cause illness themselves. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, CT scans, which use radiation to detect abnormalities, have been linked to a higher risk of cancer than previously thought. This is quite an alarming finding because, as reported in the article, the use of the computerized tomography scan has tripled in the US since the beginning of the 1990s. Over 70 million were performed in 2007 alone. With CT scans linked to cancer, there is even more reason to be aware of and involved in your own health and medical treatment.
The study found that scans of the heart were particularly dangerous, resulting in cancer in 1 in 270 women and 1 in 600 men. For CT scans of the head the numbers were not as high; they came in at 1 in 8,100 women and 1 in 11,080 men. Although doses of radiation are not consistent from scan to scan, even when performed in the same facility, some patients receive as much as 10 times more radiation than others. On USNews.com, an article reports that a study of data from four San Francisco hospitals showed levels up to 90 millisieverts, a unit of measurement for radiation, from one scan (equivalent to several thousand X-rays).
If you, or a loved one, have been harmed by the use of dangerous medical equipment, then it is a product liability issue and should be handled by a qualified attorney. We deal with these kinds of cases and would be happy to assess your case for free.
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