VA Hospital Says It May Have Exposed 1,800 to HIV
Here’s another sad story of hospitals doing much harm. Failure to properly clean dental instruments at John Cochran Veterans Administration Hospital in St. Louis may have put 1,812 dental clinic patients at risk of life-threatening diseases. Certified letters were sent out to patients on Tuesday, alerting them to their potential exposure to hepatitis and HIV.
Dr. Gina Michael, the association chief of staff at the hospital, says dental technicians thought they were doing the right thing by washing the dental instruments themselves. They used a sink and strong soap to clean the tools instead of sending them directly to the hospital sanitizing and sterilizing department. Instruments were only supposed to be put in the cleaning machines. The hand washing of tools started in February 2009 and continued until March 2010, when it was discovered during a routine inspection.
These poor people now have to suffer because of sheer stupidity. When in a hospital, always remember that your very life is in someone else’s hands.
Last Updated on July 1st, 2010
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