A cancer patient at an oncology clinic in Tucson, AZ, was inadvertently left in a CT scanner for five hours after staff at the facility forgot about her following her exam.
Elvira Tellez was receiving a scan as part of her treatment for bone cancer at Arizona Oncology Associates, but was left in the machine after the study, according to a report in the Arizona Daily Star. Tellez finally emerged from the machine herself but was locked inside the now-closed medical office. She was eventually freed by sheriff's deputies after calling 911.
The woman's family said they were concerned about the radiation dose the woman may have received over the five-hour period, but a physician at the facility said that there was an automatic shut-off on the scanner, according to the newspaper. Tellez, however, said she heard noise coming from the scanner the entire time she was in the unit.
In a statement on its Web site, Arizona Oncology Associates said it had personally apologized to the patient for the incident, and pointed out that the CT scan had been successfully completed and that Tellez was not at risk from radiation overexposure. The facility has implemented new procedures, including a facility "sweep" at the end of each work day, to prevent such incidents from happening again.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writers
October 1, 2007
Copyright © 2007 AuntMinnie.com
