When going to the hospital, patients hope to be cured of an ailment or injury. The thought of being exposed to even more dangerous circumstances is something every patient dreads.

A recent study by the New York Times has uncovered an unusually high amount of cases of high radiation in people receiving CT scans across the country. These individuals have symptoms including hair loss, headache, and confusion and could be at risk for much more serious health problems in the future, including cancer and brain damage.

CT scanning, sometimes referred to as a CAT Scan, is a method of taking internal pictures of the body so as to better identify potential problems. The CT Scan is recognizable by it’s circular opening in which a person is placed on a flat table and moved through the machine. The circular nature of the device allows for a complete scan of the body.

The Times offers some more insight into how and why these overdoses may be occurring:

“While in some cases technicians did not know how to properly administer the test, interviews with hospital officials and a review of public records raise new questions about the role of manufacturers, including how well they design their software and equipment and train those who use them.

The Times found the biggest overdoses at Huntsville Hospital — up to 13 times the amount of radiation generally used in the test.

Officials there said they intentionally used high levels of radiation to get clearer images, according to an inquiry by the company that supplied the scanners, GE Healthcare.Experts say that is unjustified and potentially dangerous.”

A full scale investigation is being conducted by the Food and Drug Administration, but those results have not yet been made public.