Nearly 450 patients at a hospital in Massachusetts may have been exposed to hepatitis and HIV due to improper administration of IV medication over the past two years, hospital officials reported.
The potential exposure at Salem Hospital affected patients undergoing endoscopy procedures, where a tube-like instrument is inserted into the body for examination, the hospital stated Thursday.
Specific details about the cause of the exposure were not disclosed by the hospital.
Salem Hospital has notified all potentially affected patients and has conducted testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV as standard procedure for such incidents.
“There is no evidence to date of any infections resulting from this incident,” the hospital assured in its statement.
“We have determined that the infection risk to patients from this event is extremely small. … We sincerely apologize to those who have been impacted.”
The hospital became aware of the potential exposure earlier this year and has taken measures such as offering free screenings and establishing a hotline staffed by clinicians to address patient inquiries.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, informed about the incident, also assessed the risk of infection as very low, as stated in their communication. They collaborated with the hospital to manage the situation.
“To date, the ongoing investigation has not identified any evidence of infections resulting from these exposures,” the department affirmed.
Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are liver infections caused by viruses that can be transmitted through shared needles, syringes, or other injection equipment, as well as through sexual contact.
In a separate incident in 2018, over 3,000 patients at a surgery center in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, were potentially exposed to blood-borne pathogens, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.
An investigation by the New Jersey Department of Health revealed lapses in sterilization procedures and improper cleaning of medical instruments among employees at the HealthPlus Surgery Center.
Similarly, in 2008, an outbreak of acute hepatitis C was traced to an endoscopy center in Las Vegas, according to a report from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. The investigation found that unsafe injection practices had put patients at risk of exposure.
