Baystate Noble Hospital Endoscopes News
Due to a potential colonoscope contamination, patients of Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield, Massachusetts were possibly exposed to blood-borne illnesses such as hepatitis and HIV. The hospital informed all 293 patients who underwent a colonoscopy between June 11, 2012 and April 17, 2013 of the contamination risk, urging all to get tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, at no cost.
The potential for contamination arose after health care professionals at the hospital did not properly disinfect the colonoscopes after use. This oversight in device sterilization occurred during a switch to new colonoscopes; the new colonscope had a different disinfection process than the previous coloscope required, leading to an error in staff training.
According to the letter sent to exposed patients from Baystate Noble Hospital, “the disinfection of those endoscopes between procedures did not adequately expose the devices’ single water irrigation channel to high-level disinfection during the last phase of cleaning.” This lack of “high-level disinfection” created the potential for diseases like HIV and hepatitis to be transferred between patients.
OBTAIN A FREE ENDOSCOPE LAWSUIT EVALUATION
The Weinberg Law Firm is currently accepting Endoscope-linked infection personal injury cases nationwide. If you or someone you know has suffered an infection after undergoing a procedure with a reprocessed Endoscope, please contact our firm toll free at 1-877-934-6274 for a free legal case evaluation. You can also submit our online “Free Legal Case Evaluation Form” to contact one of our lawyers.
Baystate Noble Hospital Endoscope Contamination
Ronald Bryant, the president of Baystate Noble Hospital, noted on the contamination risk, that “on behalf of Baystate Noble Hospital and Baystate Health, I apologize to all those affected by this failure in safety. The safety of our patients is our very highest priority, and we take full responsibility for our part in allowing these patients to have potentially received unsafe care.” On January 20, 2016, the hospital sent out letters by certified overnight mail to all patients.
