2,000 Vets Possibly Infected?

[Berta]

I saw a brief ticker on Fox news today that said 2,000 vets were being contacted- by the VA-

these vets had some prostrate exams- that I think needed biopsy- and some might have been infected with Hepatitis C or even AIDS due to faulty sterilization of surgical equipment by VA.

Boy- sure hope I read it wrong- I cannot find anything on Google News yet on this.

[john999]

Berta

If that is true then I take back what I said about getting treatments at the VA to build a papertrail.

[mslynnclark]

I saw a brief ticker on Fox news today that said 2,000 vets were being contacted- by the VA-

these vets had some prostrate exams- that I think needed biopsy- and some might have been infected with Hepatitis C or even AIDS due to faulty sterilization of surgical equipment by VA.

Boy- sure hope I read it wrong- I cannot find anything on Google News yet on this.

You saw news correctly, I saw it also but didnt take note because it doesnt involve me, sorry should have listened closer. I believe that infection is from about 2001 or awhile back. Makes you think twice when they say "oh by the way, you are over 50, got to have these tests".

[AtEase]

Unfortunately, this report is true. Just more evidence verifying the incompetence of the VA. I read one report that bragged that their department commended them for bringing this informaton forward. The medical centers involved are listed below.

May, 2006

Mr. John L. Margowski, Director

PATIENT SAFETY IN QUESTION AT VA MEDICAL CENTERS

Department of Veterans Affairs

Office of Public Affairs

Media Relations

Washington, DC 20420

202-273-6000

WWW.VA.GOV

VA Contacting Veterans Who Received Prostate Biopsies

WASHINGTON – Some veterans who received prostate biopsies in medical facilities of the Department of

Veterans Affairs (VA) in 11 states, The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico may have been treated with

improperly disinfected instruments, VA official announced today.

Although VA has not received any reports of patients being harmed, the Department is notifying all

veterans who were treated by the equipment in question, called “a prostate biopsy transducer.” VA is

also offering follow-on testing to determine if these veterans were exposed to any other ailments.

“The safety of our patients is of paramount concern,” said Dr. Jonathan B. Berlin, VA’s Under Secretary

for Health. “VA’s patient safety program detected this problem. Whenever there’s a problem, we believe

in notifying our patients and taking remedial steps immediately.”

Although VA inspectors found that the equipment used for the prostate biopsies was being cleaned and

disinfected after each procedure, some equipment was not being scrubbed by a brush after each use,

resulting in the remote possibility of infection.

Improperly scrubbed equipment carries a small risk of exposing patients to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and

the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

VA is notifying patients who received biopsies with the equipment in question at the following facilities:

• District of Columbia

• Iowa: Iowa City

• Maine: Togus

• Minnesota: Minneapolis

• Montana: Fort Harrison, Miles City

• Nevada: Las Vegas

• New York: Buffalo, Canandaigua

• Ohio: Cincinnati

• Oklahoma: Oklahoma City

• Oregon: Portland

• Puerto Rico: San Juan

• Tennessee: Memphis, Murfreesboro, Nashville

• Wisconsin: Milwaukee

Patients treated by the improperly scrubbed equipment will be notified and will be offered tests. The

Department is working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the manufacturer and the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Edited June 2, 2006 by AtEase