Vegas Hepatitis Exposure List Incomplete

[Guest guest]

Vegas Hepatitis Exposure List Incomplete

By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY, Associated Press Writer

 

http://news./s/ap/20080306/ap_on_re_us/hepatitis_exposure

 

LAS VEGAS - Health officials used an incomplete patient list to notify people

exposed to hepatitis and HIV at a Las Vegas clinic, an epidemiologist testified

Thursday.

 

 

 

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" We know of patients who had been there whose names were not on the list, "

Southern Nevada Health District epidemiologist Brian Labus told a state

legislative committee on health care.

The public hearing was the first investigating the spread of hepatitis C from

unsafe practices at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. An outbreak of six

cases of acute hepatitis C was made public last week. The surgical center and

five other affiliated clinics have been closed.

Nearly 40,000 patients who received treatment at the center from March 2004 to

mid-January have received letters telling them they are at risk for exposure and

urging to be tested for hepatitis B and C, and HIV.

Labus said the patient list was provided by the center and based on financial

records. He did not explain why some patient names would not have appeared.

Health officials believe the clinic spread the virus by reusing syringes and

vials of medication. Health District chief Lawrence Sands said it was a

well-known violation of common safety standards.

The clinic's records show the practice of using single-patient vials of

medication to treat more than one patient has been in use since March 2004, when

the clinic underwent a renovation and expanded operation, Labus said. Inspectors

could not be certain the practice wasn't in place before March 2004, he said.

The clinic's majority owner, Dipak Desai, and member of the governor's

commission on health care, has refused to answer questions about the

allegations. He took out a full-page ad in Sunday's Las Vegas Review-Journal

insisting that needles had not been reused and that the chances of contracting

an infection at the center in most of the last four years were " extremely low. "

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

In today's Las Vegas Review Journal it has mentioned more clinics practicing

unsafe methods. It is probably happening everywhere

June

 

 

-

" Desert Sky " <desertskynm

;

;

 

Friday, March 07, 2008 12:56 AM

Vegas Hepatitis Exposure List

Incomplete

 

 

> Vegas Hepatitis Exposure List Incomplete

> By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY, Associated Press Writer

>

> http://news./s/ap/20080306/ap_on_re_us/hepatitis_exposure

>

> LAS VEGAS - Health officials used an incomplete patient list to notify

> people exposed to hepatitis and HIV at a Las Vegas clinic, an

> epidemiologist testified Thursday.

>

>

>

> if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object();

>

window.yzq_d['Ek8WL9j8elI-']=' & U=13bga9sv5%2fN%3dEk8WL9j8elI-%2fC%3d571921.12335\

019.12731671.1442997%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d5246808';

> " We know of patients who had been there whose names were not on the

> list, " Southern Nevada Health District epidemiologist Brian Labus told a

> state legislative committee on health care.

> The public hearing was the first investigating the spread of hepatitis C

> from unsafe practices at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. An

> outbreak of six cases of acute hepatitis C was made public last week. The

> surgical center and five other affiliated clinics have been closed.

> Nearly 40,000 patients who received treatment at the center from March

> 2004 to mid-January have received letters telling them they are at risk

> for exposure and urging to be tested for hepatitis B and C, and HIV.

> Labus said the patient list was provided by the center and based on

> financial records. He did not explain why some patient names would not

> have appeared.

> Health officials believe the clinic spread the virus by reusing syringes

> and vials of medication. Health District chief Lawrence Sands said it was

> a well-known violation of common safety standards.

> The clinic's records show the practice of using single-patient vials of

> medication to treat more than one patient has been in use since March

> 2004, when the clinic underwent a renovation and expanded operation, Labus

> said. Inspectors could not be certain the practice wasn't in place before

> March 2004, he said.

> The clinic's majority owner, Dipak Desai, and member of the governor's

> commission on health care, has refused to answer questions about the

> allegations. He took out a full-page ad in Sunday's Las Vegas

> Review-Journal insisting that needles had not been reused and that the

> chances of contracting an infection at the center in most of the last four

> years were " extremely low. "

>

>

>

> Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it

> now.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Can't help but wonder just how safe the clinics at Walmart will be....

[Guest guest]

You know it!

DesertSkyNM

 

, " llaci2003 "

<jjaksic wrote:

>

> Can't help but wonder just how safe the clinics at Walmart will

be....

>