You are not logged in.You can comment without logging in, but your comment will appear as from "Anonymous".Log in to associate your identity with your comment.Warning: If you want to log in, you should do so now. Otherwise, you may need to retype your comment.If you do not have an account, you can register here.
New Developments in the VA Hospital Infection Exposure
On the heels of the possible transmission of life threatening diseases at the Palomar Pomerado Hospital in San Diego County, a Missouri VA hospital is also under scrutiny as it may have exposed hundreds of veterans to Hepatitis and HIV.
Last month,Palomar Pomerado Health Systems sent certified letters to 3,400 patients who underwent colonoscopy and other procedures, warning of a threat of infection from items used and reused in specific procedures. The facility urged these patients to be tested for possible exposure to infections over a 15-month time period.
The problem occurred, officials said, when employees missed certain steps while cleaning equipment. The letter from Palomar Pomerado’s CEO, Michael Covert, said: "As part of our ongoing review process, Palomar Pomerado Health examined the techniques we used to clean and disinfect equipment used in your procedure. As a result, we have found some of the steps we performed were different from the steps the manufacturer recommends." The letters were distributed after the State Department of Health conducted an investigation; subsequently the hospital is offering patients free blood tests to determine whether or not they had been infected.
Fueling what seems to be a growing trend, John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis has recently mailed letters to 1,812 veterans informing them they could contract Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV after visiting the medical center for dental work.
This issue also stemmed from a failure to clean instruments properly. In response, the hospital set up a special clinic and education centers to help patients who may have been infected.
While the hospitals are offering tests and education related to the problem, many questions remain. Specifically, what should a patient do if they believe they were actually infected at a facility? In Miami last year, a 55-year-old man who claims he was infected with HIV during a colonoscopy at the Miami Veterans Hospital is suing the federal government for $20 million. That hospital had similarly sent a letter to thousands of patients warning of improperly cleaned equipment potential leading to Hepatitis and HIV infection.
"If this is happening in the Veterans Administration, what is happening ... in our greater health system?" asked Rep. Steve Buyer of Indiana. "My sense is that there are some greater problems out there."