Re: Radioactive Seeds/Surgery without consent!
From: anonymous (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Thu Sep 19 14:35:14 2002
At Thu, 19 Sep 2002, dollbabi wrote:
>Not the case in the hospitals that I'm familiar with (many of the MD's are employed by hospitals;they're not contractual staffers), or in the literature I've reviewed where radiation seeds ARE used in women. A woman I know is about to have this done next week , in fact.
Opinions are going to vary in the medical community, but the original
post on this topic incorrectly stated that her doctor had performed a
criminal act 5 years ago by implanting seeds and now she wants to sue
because she is full of radioactivity. While the RN might be responsible
for reporting ,surely the other M.D.'s would be aware of the "criminal
act" and they would be on my list of people to speak with if I were
investigating the claim. The fact that she is responsible for
"reporting" is irrelevant when identifying all potential witnesses.
While we might disagree how many feet to stand away for how many days,
or how frequently staff is classified as an employee, I think we can
agree she is not suffering from radiation poisoning at all. To decide
to sue 5 years later sounds like the case totally lacks credibility.
>I work with these seed implants quite frequently. However, we do not
>implant seeds in women at the facility where I work. I did discuss this
>with the director of oncology, though. He informed me that the doctors
>in the facility where I work feel that there are more intense side
>affects for women with radioactive implants, so that used traditional
>radiation. He did tell me that when a woman had the iridium implants
>they were confined to a small tube inserted into the tumor, and left for
>a maximum of 4 days only. I also questioned him about children and
>pregnant people being in contact with the patient. He said that he
>advised the hospital staff to allow no children or pregnant people to be
>in the same room with men that had had seed implants for the fisrt 2
>weeks. After that period of time, he advised that they remain at least
>4 feet away. He said that more research is being done on the safety of
>these people near seed implants, but that he felt that caution was
>needed until the studies were in and they had facts to change the rules.
>When a patient is having surgery at a hospital, the R.N. circulator is
>responsible for all activity that goes on in that O.R. She is employed
>for the hospital. Neither the surgeons nor the anesthesiologists are
>usually employed with the hospital, although they are on staff at the
>facility. The R.N. is responsible for immediately informing her
>supervisor of any important discrepancies in the O.R. That is just the
>way it is in hospitals. I have done clinicals in 11 different hospitals
>and that is the rules at all of them.
>
>At Mon, 16 Sep 2002, anonymous wrote:
>>
>>At Sat, 14 Sep 2002, dollbabi wrote:
>>
>>>You don't appear to be well informed about medical procedures. Radiation seeds are used in breast cancer (for women) and also for heart operations (men and women). You have also exaggerated the precautions about infants and pregnant women. It is only EXTENDED, CLOSE contact that might be unsafe.
>>
>>Why is it that just an RN's accountable to report other procedures? The
>>anesthesiologist (M.D.) is also there, as is the assisting surgeon ,
>>also an MD.
>>
>>>When radioactive seeds are put in they are first sterilized in an
>>>isolated, controlled environment. There are between 70 and 120 seeds
>>>put in depending on the size of the PROSTATE. This is high dose
>>>radiation extending to a small area. They are left in indefinitely,
>>>they are only removed if the patient experiences such severe side
>>>effects that warrant removal. For 2 months the patient is not to be
>>>around kids under the age of 18 months or pregnant women. Fact is that
>>>although very potent, they only reach a small area within the body. If
>>>they are implanted in a woman, could there be a systemic reaction?? The
>>>answer to that is not available because women DO NOT have prostates,
>>>therefore radioactive seeds have no business being implanted in a woman.
>>>Doing so would be totally experimental as well as dangerous, considering
>>>that her fertility could be lost by doing so!
>>>When a patient signs a consent for surgery, they sign for the procedure
>>>being done and any emergency surgery that would be necessary to save the
>>>life of the patient. They are not signing for experimental treatment,
>>>they are not asking to become lab rats, and they are not asking the
>>>doctor to play trial and error! There is supposed to be a Registered
>>>Nurse in the OR that reports any extra procedures being performed
>>>without the patients consent immediately to the hospital administration.
>>>This is part of her responsibilities!! She can be held accountable for
>>>not doing so.
>>>I don't know much about statutes and things, just about the medical part
>>>of things. Just sharing some facts.
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