View source for Press Release-IV-99-040, NRC Proposes to Fine Torrington'S Community Hospital $2,500 for Nuclear Medicine Errors

{{Adams
| number = ML003705987
| issue date = 06/12/1996
| title = Press Release-IV-99-040 NRC Proposes to Fine Torrington'S Community Hospital $2,500 for Nuclear Medicine Errors
| author name = Henderson B
| author affiliation = NRC/OPA/RGN-IV/FO
| addressee name = 
| addressee affiliation = 
| docket = 
| license number = 
| contact person = 
| document report number = Press Release-IV-96-040
| document type = Press Release
| page count = 2
| newsletter region = NRC Region IV
| newsletter year = 2099
| newsletter integer = 40
}}

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{{#Wiki_filter:U.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommissionOfficeofPublicAffairs,RegionIV611RyanPlazaDrive-Suite400Arlington,Texas76011-8064RIV:96-40FORIMMEDIATERELEASECONTACT:BreckHendersonJune12,1996 OFFICE:817/860-8128 PAGER:(800)443-7243(065477)NRCPROPOSESTOFINETORRINGTON'SCOMMUNITYHOSPITAL$2,500FORNUCLEARMEDICINEERRORSTheNuclearRegulatoryCommissionhasproposeda$2,500civilpenaltyagainstCommunityHospital,Torrington,Wyoming,forfailuretoimplementrequiredqualityassurancemeasuresand forfalsifyingrecords.Thefailuresledtooverdosesofradioactivedrugsfortwopatientsthatwentundiscoveredformorethanayear.ThehospitalandanindependentmedicalconsultanthiredbytheNRC concludedthathealthriskstothepatientsfromtheoverdoseswerenegligible.ThetwopatientsreceiveddosesofradioactivesodiumiodideonSeptember6andNovember7,1994,thatwere30percentand40percentgreaterthanthedoses prescribedbytheirdoctors.TheerrorswerenotdiscovereduntilanNRCinspectionwas completedonFebruary26ofthisyear.TheNRCalsodeterminedthatthemedicaltechnicianwho madetheerrorsdeliberatelyfalsifiedhospitalrecordsindicatingthatthedosesgiventothepatients wereasprescribedbytheirdoctors.NRCRegionalAdministratorL.JoeCallansaidinalettertothehospitaladministrator:"Althoughtheactualconsequencestothepatientsmayhavebeennegligible,thiscaseisof significantregulatoryconcerninthatthehospitaldidnotimplementaQualityManagement Programwhichwaseffectiveinensuringthatradioactivematerialwasadministeredinaccordance withauthorizedusers'instructionsandthatdeviations...werenotpromptlyidentifiedand corrected."Whentheerrorswerediscovered,CommunityHospitalimmediatelysuspendednuclearmedicineproceduresinvolvingsodiumiodideandsubsequentlydecidedto terminateitsNRClicensetoperformnuclearmedicine.Amobileserviceproviderisnow performingnuclearmedicineatthehospital.Asacorrectivemeasure,thehospitalalsoreviewed itspoliciesandproceduresandtookdisciplinaryactionagainstthemedicaltechnicianinvolved.CommunityHospitalhas30daystopaythefineorfileaprotest.
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