Press Release-IV-99-040, NRC Proposes to Fine Torrington'S Community Hospital $2,500 for Nuclear Medicine Errors
| ML003705987 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/12/1996 |
| From: | Henderson B Office of Public Affairs Region IV |
| To: | |
| Category:Press Release | |
| References | |
| Press Release-IV-96-040 | |
| Download: ML003705987 (2) | |
Text
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.