CONCORD, N.H. — An employee misusing drugs is the most likely cause of an outbreak of hepatitis C among patients who were treated at the Exeter Hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab, New Hampshire’s public health director said Wednesday.
“Based on all the testing we’ve done, based on all the interviews we’ve performed with employees and with patients, the review of the hospital data — all of this information points toward drug diversion as the most plausible explanation,” Dr. Jose Montero said.
A total of 20 people, including a hospital worker, have been diagnosed with the same strain of the liver-destroying virus since the state began investigating the outbreak last month. Montero would not comment on the specific employee suspected of causing the outbreak or say whether law enforcement is involved, but he said drug diversion generally involves someone using a syringe to inject themselves with medication meant for patients and then re-using the syringe on patients.
“This is really disturbing. We as a department want to make sure health care quality is maintained across the board,” he said. “Certainly this is a really unfortunate situation. Nobody goes to a health care facility expecting to get sick.”
Hepatitis C is a viral infection transmitted by blood. It causes inflammation of the liver that can lead to chronic health issues.
The Exeter investigation began in mid-May when four patients were diagnosed with an identical strain of the virus, and the only link officials could find was that all had been treated at the lab. Officials initially asked anyone treated at the lab since August to get tested; on Wednesday, Montero said that request has been expanded to include all of the lab’s patients since October 2010.
The lab was closed for a week in late May but was allowed to re-open after authorities determined there was no evidence that disposable equipment was being misused, that no permanent equipment was contaminated and that there was no further risk of transmission via lab employees, Montero said.
State and local health departments aren’t required to report such outbreaks to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the agency was notified of 13 outbreaks nationwide between 2008 and 2011. Of those, seven occurred in outpatient facilities, and most were traced to unsafe injection practices. At least two have resulted in criminal charges, including a Colorado woman who was convicted of stealing syringes filled with painkillers from two hospitals where she worked and replacing them with used syringes. The syringes were later used on surgical patients, and up to three dozen were found to have hepatitis C after being exposed.
In New Hampshire, Montero said about 730 people have been tested so far, and several hundred more are expected. The state had been notifying those who did not test positive by mail but is now calling them, recognizing that patients are anxious to learn the results.
I suggest checking the one hospital worker who tested positive for needle tracks…
So, does that mean that hospital workers are not tested before hired? Too many people placed in jeopardy for this lack of doing so.
So, if you have a disease such as Hepatitis C then you are prohibited from gainful employment? This disease is a blood born pathogen and no employee should be exposing themselves or patients to the blood product of another by using universal precautions. If you assume this employees careless or negligence cause this outbreak then you conclude any potential employee should be prohibited from patient care if they test positive for Hep C, HIV, etc. ?
So, if I read this article and the previous one regarding how the disease was transmitted correctly; then regardless of what the “experts” say, it was NOT the misuse of the drug that caused the outbreak, it was the misuse of the equipment (needles). I also do not understand the connection between the lab and the drug. One does not go to the lab to get drugs, and if you have your blood taken in your room, well again, that has nothing to do with drugs. So, it goes back to the misuse of the needles.
I don’t know how this disease made its way to the patients, but unless ALL employees at that hospital are tested as well as ALL patients from that time period then it sounds like a witch-hunt.
You do understand that the “lab” was the cardiac cath lab and not the lab where you would get blood drawn, right? Drugs certainly ARE used during cardiac caths.
The virus would have a unique DNA”fingerprint” that would allow investigators to determine the path of transmission.
I agree this is another very poorly researched story by the AP. It is impossible to determine who infected who and how. I also agree if I was a patient there i would be upset and very concerned as to why there is not a better explanation. A cover up never works. The truth will come out in court i am sure.
Seem to be outlined pretty good to me in the 1st two sentences. They didn’t “name names”, but I am sure that will follow when/if charges are filed. Some ‘druggie” was stealing meds meant for patients(called diversion) and either used a dirty needle to get the drugs out of the bottle or swapped out used(refilled w/ saline) for fresh syringes heading to patients in the Cath Lab.
Look toward the one infected employee as the culprit.