VA hospital may have infected 1,800 veterans with HIV

Honu · #1 06-30-10, 04:50

not sure if others had seen this ?

SCARY

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/30/va....ef=igoogle_cnn

Quote:

(CNN) -- A Missouri VA hospital is under fire because it may have exposed more than 1,800 veterans to dangerous viruses like hepatitis and HIV.

John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis has recently mailed letters to 1,812 veterans telling them they could contract hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) after visiting the medical center for dental work, said Rep. Russ Carnahan.

Carnahan said Tuesday he is calling for a investigation into the issue and has sent a letter to President Obama about it.

"This is absolutely unacceptable," said Carnahan, a Democrat from Missouri. "No veteran who has served and risked their life for this great nation should have to worry about their personal safety when receiving much needed healthcare services from a Veterans Administration hospital."

The issue stems from a failure to clean dental instruments properly, the hospital told CNN affiliate KSDK.

KSDK: VA dental patients at risk of infection

Dr. Gina Michael, the association chief of staff at the hospital, told the affiliate that some dental technicians broke protocol by handwashing tools before putting them in cleaning machines.

The instruments were supposed to only be put in the cleaning machines, Michael said.

The handwashing started in February 2009 and went on until March of this year, the hospital told KSDK.

The hospital has set up a special clinic and education centers to help patients who may have been infected. However, Carnahan said he feels more should be done and those responsible should be disciplined.

"I can only imagine the horror and anger our veterans must be feeling after receiving this letter," Carnahan said. "They have every right to be angry. So am I."

This is not the first time this year a hospital has been in hot water for not following proper procedures.

In June, Palomar Hospital in San Diego, California, has sent certified letters to 3,400 patients who underwent colonoscopy and other similar procedures, informing the patients that there may be a potential of infection from items used and reused in the procedures.

bkb0000 · #2 06-30-10, 05:26

not enough info to start having opinions, obviously, but it seems a little alarmist to me.

"we might have given you AIDS!"

"what?? why? how??"

"some of our techs washed dental tools, that may have been used in your mouth, twice, instead of once. the poopheads."

dbrowne1 · #3 06-30-10, 06:35

I'd venture to guess that the actual risk is very low, but this is still entirely unacceptable.

Gutshot John · #4 06-30-10, 09:08

From a medical perspective this is a hugely big deal.

Regardless of anyone catching the disease the VA staff was criminally negligent.

Bloodborne pathogens are covered early and often in your health care career.

There is no excuse.

mr_smiles · #5 06-30-10, 09:27

I guess throwing the instruments in an autoclave would have required too much work.

Skintop911 · #6 06-30-10, 11:36

Risk of transmission is extremely low. Still, little comfort. Still, completely unacceptable.

120mm · #7 06-30-10, 12:02

One more reason to do away with VA hospitals, and replace them with gov't paid treatment at regular treatment facilities, post-recovery.

I've never been impressed with the cost to the taxpayer, the inefficiency and the quality of healthcare in VA hospitals.

Honu · #8 06-30-10, 12:26

Ditto Risk is low ? but Negligence is off the charts !

kinda like not putting a seat belt on my child or if they are smaller in a child seat ? I would not do it knowing the idiots on the road today and risks

reminds me of when I was in Guatemala and the doctors had to do blood work and asked if I would like to pick out my needle or pay for a new one ! hehehehe
I said a new one ! they said you sure its $1.00

CarlosDJackal · #9 06-30-10, 12:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Honu

...Dr. Gina Michael, the association chief of staff at the hospital, told the affiliate that some dental technicians broke protocol by handwashing tools before putting them in cleaning machines...

I don't understand why this is an issue? Anyone?

kwelz · #10 06-30-10, 13:25

Same here. If they had only hand washed them I would see the problem but I guess I am missing something. They hand washed them them put them in the machine right?

mr_smiles · #11 06-30-10, 14:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarlosDJackal

I don't understand why this is an issue? Anyone?

Wow, my brain just blanked the last part out.

Gutshot John · #12 06-30-10, 14:50

Gross contamination would be removed first before putting them in an autoclave.

My guess is that the reporter didn't really understand what was said. It wasn't that they were handwashed "before being placed" it was that they were handwashed and cleaned rather than sterilized.

"Clean" is different than "sterile." An autoclave sterilizes by steam/pressure.

DTHN2LGS · #13 06-30-10, 15:05

That might be why my VA Primary Care Dr. is having all of his patients get tested for HIV this year.

CarlosDJackal · #14 06-30-10, 15:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gutshot John

Gross contamination would be removed first before putting them in an autoclave.

My guess is that the reporter didn't really understand what was said. It wasn't that they were handwashed "before being placed" it was that they were handwashed and cleaned rather than sterilized.

"Clean" is different than "sterile." An autoclave sterilizes by steam/pressure.

Thanks, now that makes sense.

This sucks all around!! I hope none of the patients were contaminated.

GermanSynergy · #15 06-30-10, 22:33

Un....fu**ing....real........

perna · #16 06-30-10, 23:07

I was told that the proper procedure might have been to use an ultra sonic cleaner on the instruments before autoclaving, instead of hand washing before autoclaving. But that came from someone in the medical field, not the dental field.

Skintop911 · #17 07-01-10, 10:39

Sad to say, but these types of things happen more than you think, but are usually handled much more quietly.

All it takes is one lazy tech.

bkb0000 · #18 07-01-10, 12:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skintop911

Sad to say, but these types of things happen more than you think, but are usually handled much more quietly.

All it takes is one lazy tech.

i had the same thought... if this discovery had happened at a private clinic, do you think they would have mailed out 1800 letters?

thopkins22 · #19 07-01-10, 22:20

Looking forward to hearing how many(if any) people actually contract the disease.

Fortunately HIV dies almost immediately upon entering a dry environment(presumably the tools were dried,) and with slight variations in temperature(presumably they used hot water.)

HIV is actually incredibly difficult to contract if you're straight(even if you're not that conscious about safe sex,) white, male, and don't abuse drugs intravenously, but...still incredibly negligent.

I also would like to second the notion that VA hospitals should be put out of business. Similar to charter schools and vouchers, the money should be attached to the patient, not the facility.

Gutshot John · #20 07-01-10, 22:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by thopkins22

Fortunately HIV dies almost immediately upon entering a dry environment(presumably the tools were dried,) and with slight variations in temperature(presumably they used hot water.)

HIV is actually incredibly difficult to contract if you're straight(even if you're not that conscious about safe sex,) white, male, and don't abuse drugs intravenously, but...still incredibly negligent.

It should be noted that Hep B & C kill more people by several orders of magnitude than HIV and both are far more easily contracted.