A routine medical process turned deadly for 22-year-old legislation graduate Leticia Paul, who died lower than 24 hours after present process a contrast-enhanced CT scan at Alto Vale Regional Hospital in Rio do Sul, Brazil. Paul reportedly suffered anaphylactic shock, a uncommon however extreme allergic response, triggered by the distinction agent used through the scan.
Her demise has raised issues over the security of CT scans, significantly the dangers related to distinction media and radiation publicity. In line with her aunt, Sandra Paul, Leticia had a historical past of kidney stones and was present process a routine check-up when the incident occurred.
The hospital issued a press release expressing condolences and reaffirming its dedication to medical security protocols: ‘All procedures are carried out in accordance with advisable medical protocols.’
Understanding the Dangers: Distinction Brokers and Allergic Reactions
CT scans usually contain using iodinated distinction brokers to boost picture readability. Whereas typically thought-about secure, these substances may cause allergic reactions in uncommon instances. Extreme reactions, akin to anaphylaxis, happen in some sufferers, based on recent medical literature.
Dr. Murilo Eugênio Oliveira, a radiology specialist, instructed the Brazilian information outlet G1 that opposed reactions to distinction brokers are uncommon and, in his expertise, happen solely about as soon as each six years.
‘Within the items the place I work, we do about 300 assessments a day and, on this demand, now we have instances of gentle reactions each six months. A critical response is one each 6 years’, says Murilo.
Most sufferers expertise solely gentle signs akin to nausea, itching, or a heat sensation, which usually resolve with out intervention.
Nonetheless, the incident has prompted requires extra rigorous pre-screening and knowledgeable consent procedures, particularly for sufferers with identified sensitivities or underlying situations.
Radiation Publicity: A Rising Public Well being Concern
Past allergic reactions, CT scans carry one other threat: publicity to ionising radiation. A 2025 research printed in JAMA Internal Medicine estimates that CT scans carried out in the US in 2023 might lead to roughly 103,000 future most cancers instances, accounting for practically 5% of all new diagnoses.
Dr Rebecca Smith-Bindman, lead creator of the research and professor at UCSF, said: ‘CT can save lives, however its potential harms are sometimes neglected. Lowering the variety of scans and lowering doses per scan would save lives.’
The research discovered that belly and pelvic CT scans contributed to the biggest variety of projected cancers, with lung, colon and breast cancers among the many most typical outcomes.
Balancing Profit and Threat
Medical consultants emphasise that whereas the dangers are actual, they have to be weighed in opposition to the diagnostic advantages. CT scans are indispensable instruments in fashionable drugs, used to detect tumours, information surgical procedures and diagnose inside accidents.
The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) responded to the research by noting that medically crucial CT exams present important data and that ‘advances in CT know-how have decreased radiation doses by 20% between 2006 and 2016.’
Dr. Amy Berrington de González of the Institute for Cancer Analysis additionally noted that, for particular person sufferers, the elevated threat related to diagnostic scans is minimal, and that the advantages considerably outweigh the dangers when the process is clinically warranted.
What Sufferers Ought to Know
Consultants advocate that sufferers ask their docs key questions earlier than present process a CT scan:
- Is the scan medically crucial?
- Are there different imaging strategies like MRI or ultrasound?
- Can a lower-dose or single-phase scan be used?
Trendy CT machines are designed to make use of the bottom radiation dose potential whereas sustaining picture high quality. Radiologists comply with the ALARA precept, ‘As Low As Moderately Achievable’, to minimise publicity.
Transparency and Vigilance Wanted
Leticia Paul’s demise is a tragic reminder that even routine procedures carry dangers. Whereas CT scans stay very important diagnostic instruments, better transparency, affected person training and adherence to security protocols are important to minimise hurt.
As CT utilization continues to rise globally, healthcare methods should be sure that each scan is really crucial and that sufferers are totally knowledgeable of each the advantages and the dangers.
