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September 2, 2010

Dispatch: CA Tries To Zap Away Excess Radiation

The California Legislature has approved a bill aimed at limiting radiation exposure, following reports that hundreds of patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and three other hospitals were accidentally overdosed during CT brain scans. The measure requires that radiation dosage levels are recorded on the scanned image and patient’s health record, as well as given to the patient, their physician and the California Department of Health.

ACSH’s Jeff Stier isn’t surprised that the recent publicity devoted to instances of excess radiation exposure were the impetus for the new California bill. “This has been in the news for a while because as technology becomes more accessible to the public, people will start to market it in ways that are less than scientifically sound,” Stier says. “Very often, technology outpaces regulation. But this sounds like a responsible way to record people’s exposure over time.”

“In this case, the regulation seems reasonable,” chimes in ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross, who believes that the new bill will hold radiologists to a higher standard of accountability. “Since the radiologists who administer the CT scans will now have to record the patient’s radiation exposure in a permanent way, they may become more hands-on by monitoring for excessive doses more closely.”

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Founded in 1978, ACSH is a consumer advocacy organization directed and advised by over 350 physicians, scientists and policy advisors. ACSH promotes the use of sound, peer-reviewed science in the formation of a full  spectrum of  public health policies, including those related to food, pharmaceuticals, environmental chemicals, lifestyle factors, consumer products and terrorism preparedness and response.