Dear AuntMinnie Member,
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) yesterday proposed what it called one of the largest fines it has ever levied for medical errors against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for problems in brachytherapy treatments at the Philadelphia VA hospital.
The NRC proposed a fine of $227,500, due to what it called a "lack of management oversight" and "lack of a safety culture" in the facility's prostate brachytherapy program. The NRC has been investigating the Philadelphia VA since charges came to light that patients had received incorrect placement of iodine-125 seeds.
Learn more about this developing story by clicking here, or by visiting our Radiation Oncology Digital Community at radiation.auntminnie.com.
More news from ACC
Meanwhile, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) meeting in Atlanta wrapped up on Tuesday, and we're pleased to bring you a variety of stories from this important conference in our Cardiac Imaging Digital Community.
Several ACC presentations addressed the thorny issue of contrast safety, an important topic during cardiac cath procedures. One study examined low-osmolar contrast media and found that three major agents had relatively similar safety profiles; another found that hydrating patients with sodium bicarbonate is no better than saline solution for preventing contrast-induced nephropathy in diabetic patients.
Also, researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that high levels of calcium in patients can confound coronary CT angiography exams, while in separate research, marathon runners were found to have higher plaque volumes compared to symptomatic patients.
Get these stories and more coverage of the ACC conference in our Cardiac Imaging Digital Community, at cardiac.auntminnie.com.
