Date: November 2004

Location: Lyon, France

Type of event: radiotherapy overexposure

Description:

A patient receiving treatment by radiotherapy was overexposed due to confusion over units used in defining the body surface to be irradiated. The patient developed symptoms in May 2005 which were attributed at the time to over-sensitivity to radiation; these symptomatic conditions led to the patient's death in March 2006.

Consequences: 1 fatality.

References:

• IRSN, 15 Feb. 2007, "Les accidents dus aux rayonnements ionisants: le bilan sur un demi-siecle," IRSN, on line [http://www.irsn.org/document/site_1/fckfiles/File/Internet/documents_doctrines_et_syntheses/les_accidents_dus_aux_rayonnements_ionisants.pdf].

© 2007 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 24 September 2007.
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