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Reused Syringes in Nevada Clinic Prompt Hep. C, HIV Fears
by
findingDulcinea Staff
The Southern Nevada Health District discovered that a local clinic was reusing syringes. At least six cases of hepatitis C resulted, more feared.
30-Second Summary
In the largest public health notification in U.S. history, some 40,000 patients seeking treatment at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada are being urged to get tested for hepatitis C and HIV after it was discovered that the clinic and its affiliates were re-using syringes and medication vials over the course of four years.
Six cases of acute hepatitis C have been reported among patients of the clinic.
A formal complaint was filed against Dr. Dipak Desai and his staff for their allegedly negligent practices.
The Southern Nevada Health District said it identified a link between the six acute hepatitis C cases because “five had procedures on the same day. Genetic testing on four of the cases from that day has identified they likely came from a common source.”
Blog Wizbang, written by a former radiologist, says, “If told to reuse syringes I would have refused and reported the person who ordered me to do so to management.”
Hepatitis C, like HIV, is transmitted via the blood. The sharing of intravenous needles is one of the more common modes of infection.
Six cases of acute hepatitis C have been reported among patients of the clinic.
A formal complaint was filed against Dr. Dipak Desai and his staff for their allegedly negligent practices.
The Southern Nevada Health District said it identified a link between the six acute hepatitis C cases because “five had procedures on the same day. Genetic testing on four of the cases from that day has identified they likely came from a common source.”
Blog Wizbang, written by a former radiologist, says, “If told to reuse syringes I would have refused and reported the person who ordered me to do so to management.”
Hepatitis C, like HIV, is transmitted via the blood. The sharing of intravenous needles is one of the more common modes of infection.
Headline Link: ‘Vegas Clinic May Have Sickened Thousands’
Nearly 40,000 people were urged to get tested for Hepatitis C and HIV after it was learned that a Las Vegas clinic was reusing syringes and vials of medication over a four-year period. Six cases of severe Hepatitis C have been confirmed.
Source: Chicago Tribune
Reference: Hepatitis C and HIV
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is transmitted by the exchange of tainted blood. Transmission can occur through the sharing of used syringes, through contact with sharp objects or from a pregnant mother to her baby. Symptoms include fatigue, dark urine, loss of appetite and nausea. Some 80 percent of carriers of the virus exhibit no symptoms. Hepatitis C can be spread by sexual contact, but this is rare. There is no vaccine to prevent the virus.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, attacks T-cells, blood cells that fight off infection. When a patient’s T-cell count becomes too low, HIV turns into AIDS. HIV is transmitted by the exchange of bodily fluids through sexual contact, sharing of intravenous needles, blood transfusions or from a mother to her baby.
Source: WebMD
Opinion: Gross negligence
Blog Wizbang calls “Dr. Dipak Desai and the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada today’s Knuckleheads of the Day.” The writer, a former radiologist, says, “If told to re-use syringes I would have refused and reported the person who ordered me to do so to management.”
Source: Wizbang
Background: The Southern Nevada Health District
The Southern Nevada Health District, the organization behind the investigation, said it identified a link between the six acute hepatitis C cases because “five had procedures on the same day. Genetic testing on four of the cases from that day has identified they likely came from a common source.”
Source: Southern Nevada Health District
The official complaint filed by the Nevada State Department of Health against the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada is available in PDF format from newspaper the Las Vegas Sun.
Source: Las Vegas Sun
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