Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Misadministration of radiation therapy in veterinary medicine: a case report and literature review.
- Journal:
- Veterinary and comparative oncology
- Year:
- 2017
- Authors:
- Arkans, M M et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
This report discusses a situation where a dog at a veterinary hospital received the wrong type of radiation treatment for its cancer. Although new technology has made radiation therapy safer and more effective, mistakes can still happen, especially if the systems aren’t used correctly. The report highlights this specific incident and also reviews other cases where similar errors have occurred in veterinary oncology. Overall, it emphasizes the importance of careful use of advanced technology to ensure pets receive the right care.
Abstract
Recent technical advancements in radiation therapy have allowed for improved targeting of tumours and sparing nearby normal tissues, while simultaneously decreasing the risk for medical errors by incorporating additional safety checks into electronic medical record keeping systems. The benefits of these new technologies, however, depends on their proper integration and use in the oncology clinic. Despite the advancement of technology for treatment delivery and medical record keeping, misadministration errors have a significant impact on patient care in veterinary oncology. The first part of this manuscript describes a medical incident that occurred at an academic veterinary referral hospital, in a dog receiving a combination of stereotactic radiation therapy and full-course intensity-modulated, image-guided radiation therapy. The second part of the report is a literature review, which explores misadministration errors and novel challenges which arise with the implementation of advancing technologies in veterinary radiation oncology.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26178594/