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Regulator Confirms 667 X-Ray Overexposures at Saint-Brieuc Hospital After Years-Long Radiology Misconfiguration

France’s nuclear and radiological safety authority says the projected long-term health risk for those patients is low.

Overview

  • Exposure spanned 2012 to 2024 and affected 451 children, with some doses reported as up to four times reference values while the hospital says exposures stayed below 100 millisieverts.
  • The incident came to light on December 2, 2024, when a radiologist flagged an abnormally high dose for an 8-year-old, prompting a formal alert to regulators on December 20.
  • Investigators found an Apelem Platinum table had been set to continuous fluoroscopy instead of pulsed mode since installation in 2012, significantly increasing patient dose.
  • ASNR also cited partial dose reporting, a dose-archiving system that did not ensure compliant documentation, and gaps in staff training and authorization for certain procedures.
  • The hospital has corrected settings, retrained teams, and added automatic dose tracking in reports, and ASNR plans a nationwide inspection campaign of radiology services starting in 2026.