• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

Canadian patient at risk from poorly sterilized endoscopes

Hospital Safety Connection, February 20, 2003

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Hospital Safety Connection!

A Canadian hospital revealed on February 12 that some of its medical devices may have been inadequately sterilized last month, leaving more than a dozen patients at risk of contracting the viruses that cause hepatitis B and C, according to the Saskatoon (SK) Star Phoenix.

St. Paul's Hospital in Saskatoon held a news conference to discuss the sterilization problems, which took place January 27 and 28. Blood tests determined that there is no risk to 21 of the 22 patients who received endoscope examinations over a two-day period, hospital officials said. However, one patient, who received an endoscope exam after a person already infected with hepatitis C, may still be at risk.

The hospital will monitor the patient for the development of an infection over the next three to six months. Should the patient contract the potentially fatal hepatitis C, treatment is available.

All of the patients involved in the incident were examined with an endoscope, a fiber-optic hose placed up the rectum or down the throat for internal exams, hospital officials said. On January 29, the hospital discovered the machine used to disinfect the endoscopes at St. Paul's was incorrectly connected.

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Hospital Safety Connection!

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive