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Second NY hospital warns nearly 2,000 patients of possible HIV infection from insulin
A hospital in New York State has notified 1,915 patients that they may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C – days after another hospital in NY admitted making the same mistake – through reusing insulin pens, used by diabetics.
Olean General Hospital is mailing 1,915 patients who received insulin between November 2009 and last week and advising them to have a blood test, although the risk of infection of HIV or hepatitis B and C is very low, a hospital official told AP.
Staff at Olean General said they ordered the action after a review carried out at a nearby veteran’s hospital in Buffalo found that more than 700 patients may have been exposed to the same trio of deadly diseases over a two year period when they also may have used multiuse insulin pens on more than one person, though only intended for use on a single patient.
Olean General had not identified any specific patients who had been infected, but were not taking any chances.
“Interviews with nursing staff indicated that the practice of using one patient’s insulin pen for other patients may have occurred on some patients. Regardless, to the extent there may be a chance, however remote, that any patient was provided insulin from an insulin pen other than their own, Olean General Hospital has decided to be proactive and aggressive with respect to notification of our patients,” said Timothy Finan, president and chief executive of Upper Allegheny Health System, the parent company of Olean hospital.
More: http://rt.com/usa/news/hiv-infection-insulin-pens-793/
2013-01-26 13:04:10
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