Nevada latest site for unsafe syringe practices
A Nevada clinic is the latest site of Hepatitis C exposure and possible HIV exposure when an investigation by health department officials determined that “unsafe injection practices related to the administration of anesthesia medication might have exposed patients to the blood of other patients.” Six people underwent procedures at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, five were treated the same day in September and the sixth is believed to have been infected in July. The Southern Nevada Health District believes about 40,000 more people should be tested for the viruses. Officials said the unsafe practices had been in place for several years and may have put others at risk. About 40,000 patients who received injections of anesthesia at the clinic will be told of the potential exposure in letters being sent out. Officials are encouraging anyone who received anesthesia at the clinic from March 2004 to January 11, 2008 to be tested, “We are recommending all patients during this time frame to get tested because we cannot determine which patients may have been exposed, chief health officer Lawrence Sands said. Hepatitis C is a chronic, potentially fatal virus that can cause liver ailments, including cancer and liver failure. The health district says it typically receives reports of two acute cases each year. Three of the six cases reported this year are acute. The virus may have been spread when clinic staff reused syringes and used a single dose of anesthesia medication on multiple patients, the district said.
