Leigh Rodgers, a 34-year-old living in the United Kingdom, passed away after showing an allergic reaction to a substance injected at the dentist. According to a report in the Daily Mail, Rodgers, aged 34, was injected with a contrast substance before undergoing a CT scan for a tooth abscess at North Durham University Hospital. After reacting to this substance with an allergic reaction, Rodgers suffered an anaphylactic shock and died within 90 minutes.
The unfortunate death of the woman also raised claims that doctors did not adequately inform patients. Due to full appointment schedules, the infection of the 34-year-old woman, who had to wait in line for a long time, had spread to her neck and chest. Experts suspected that the young woman might be suffering from Ludwig’s angina, and they decided to have a CT scan. However, the substance injected before the scan took Leigh Rodgers’ life. Generally, it is stated that about three percent of patients show mild reactions to the contrast substance, but serious reactions like anaphylactic shock, as experienced by Leigh, are much rarer. In order to prevent such reactions, patients are typically monitored for about 30 minutes after the scan.
Furthermore, similar cases have occurred in the past. Last February, 66-year-old Yvonne Graham passed away after suffering a heart attack following a contrast substance injection. The autopsy confirmed that Graham lost her life due to the injected substance. Officials emphasize the need to learn from such deaths and warn about ensuring that patients are adequately informed before scans.