[Anonymous September 23, 1998 at 3:47 pm Post count: 93172]

#1147947

Agreed, there is alot that goes on in the medical world. However, people are only human and ANYONE can make mistakes. This is one incident and don’t feel alarmed by one incident(I have seen, heard and experienced worse!). If we knew of all the “mistakes” that are made out there, we’d live in our little glass houses and never leave them. Just another school of thought.

Blessings,
JAN

[Anonymous September 23, 1998 at 7:39 pm Post count: 93172]

#1049847

I found this on a NRC public data base. he web addy is http://www.nrc.gov

PN29761 Virginia Beach General Hospital

-1- November 25, 1997

PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PNO-II-97-061

This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE
safety or public interest significance. The information is as initially
received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is
known by Region II staff in Atlanta, Georgia on this date.

Facility Licensee Emergency Classification
Virginia Beach General Hospital Notification of Unusual Event
Virginia Beach,Virginia Alert
Dockets: 03003348 License No: 45-11035-01 Site Area Emergency
General Emergency
X Not Applicable

Subject: MEDICAL MISADMINISTRATION INVOLVING IODINE-131

On November 21, 1997, an authorized user (an oncologist), prescribed a
thyroid function test to a 75-year-old female patient to evaluate
possible thyroid nodules. The thyroid function test required the
administration of 100 microcuries of iodine-131 (I-131). Due to an
apparent scheduling error, the patient was scheduled for a whole body
scan, which requires an administration of 5 millicuries
(5,000 microcuries) of I-131. On November 21, 1997, the technologist
administered the 5 millicurie dose. The patient was asked to return on
November 24, 1997, for a 72-hour whole body scan. On November 24, the
misadministration was identified when the scan revealed that the patient
did, in fact, have an intact thyroid. The licensee reported the
misadministration to the NRC Operations Center on November 25, 1997, and
was in the process of contacting the referring physician. The licensee
was also evaluating the effect on the patient, including a dose
assessment.

The Commonwealth of Virginia will be notified by NRC Region II.

This information is current as of 11:00 a.m. on November 25, 1997.

Contact: T. Decker
(404)562-4721

[Author]

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