Nearly 450 patients at Salem Hospital in Massachusetts may have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis over a period of roughly two years.
No evidence of infection has been found so far.
The exposure risk was associated with endoscopic procedures like colonoscopies, which were not conducted in line with best practices.
The hospital has provided free screenings and set up a clinician-staffed hotline to answer questions.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is aware of the potential exposure and also concluded the risk of possible infection to be very low.
Nearly 450 patients at Salem Hospital in Massachusetts may have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis over a period of roughly two years. The exposure risk was associated with endoscopic procedures like colonoscopies, which were not conducted in line with best practices. However, no evidence of infection has been found so far. The hospital has made changes since becoming aware of the issue, notified all potentially exposed patients, and set up a hotline for them. The hospital has provided free screenings and set up a clinician-staffed hotline to answer questions. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is aware of the potential exposure and also concluded the risk of possible infection to be very low. The hospital learned of the possible exposure earlier in the year and has since conducted a comprehensive review with the assistance of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
The possible exposure affected patients who were seeking an endoscopy. The hospital has notified all potentially exposed patients and tested them for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. The hospital learned of the potential exposure earlier in the year and has since conducted a comprehensive review with the assistance of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The hospital has provided free screenings and set up a clinician-staffed hotline to answer questions. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is aware of the potential exposure and also concluded the risk of possible infection to be very low.