Thread: VA hospital flooded with calls about hepatitis, HIV

you want Government ran health care... welcome to what you wished for

VA hospital flooded with calls about hepatitis, HIV

BY FRED TASKER
ftasker@MiamiHerald.com

Worried military men and women flooded Miami Veterans' Hospital telephone hot lines Tuesday after Monday's announcement that improperly cleaned colonoscopy equipment might have exposed them to hepatitis and HIV.

The hospital received 2,662 telephone calls, and 351 veterans visited VA clinics in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, said Dr. John Vara, the Miami VA's chief of staff.

On Monday, the VA disclosed that water pumps connected to tubes used in colonoscopies and endoscopies were being rinsed between procedures, but not disinfected as required by manufacturer's specifications.

Vara said Tuesday it means there is a ''very small but more than negligible chance'' the veterans could have been exposed to viruses that cause hepatitis and HIV.

Asked what happened, Vara said: 'I can't say for sure. There are manufacturers' recommendations about how things should be handled. Not infrequently in health care it may not be implemented in quite that way. Somebody may have an opinion or some scientific evidence that they don't believe that is necessary. I can't tell you in this case exactly what happened, but it became standard practice.''

The problem in Miami was discovered after the national VA instituted a ''step-up'' investigation after similar incidents at VA clinics in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Augusta, Ga.

In Miami, 3,260 veterans had medical procedures since May 2004 using the faulty procedure.

Patients with concerns may call the Miami VA's call center at 305-575-7256 or 877-575-7256.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-d ... 65636.html

Veteran Affairs warns patients at Tenn. clinic of infection risk
Friday, February 13, 2009

http://www.smartbrief.com/news/aabb/sto ... D25&lmcid=

I think that more than soldiers should be worried.

If "somebody" at the VA didn't feel it was necessary to disinfect following manufacturer's instructions, how many other "somebodies" in hospitals, and other facilities, all over the country also didn't think it was necessary?

My own doctor, on my first ever visit to him, suggested a get a colonoscopy because I was getting older. I told him no way, especially since I have no insurance. My 89-year old mother underwent that and she was so violently ill from the clean-out drugs, getting weak from not being allowed to eat anything for 24 hours before the endoscopy and colonoscopy. They found nothing and the bill came to thousands, but luckily she has Medicare and supplemental to pay for everything.

Vortex, the newest thing is Virtual Colonoscopy, they still have to make sure that you are cleaned out but it is not as invasive as Endoscopy or Colonoscopy's, and it is a much more comfortable procedure.

The down side is that at this point the procedure doesn't have an accuracy rate as high as the other types of Colonoscopy's. And if somthing unusual is found, the patient has to go into prep that day, for a Regular Colonoscopy so that a sample and/or actual removal of Cancer can be completed.

This country use to be so good at these kinds of things. There were procedures in place for everything and everyone followed the procedure. I want to know what idiot decided it was not necessary to clean the equipment.

As a former Army nurse, I spent a good bit of time at Martin Army Hospital in Columbus, GA. The place was so dirty, we would put small slips of paper with the date in the corners around the unit. They stayed there for weeks. Tubs not cleaned with dried on dirt. The housekeepers would be down in the clinic watching TV on the evening shift, because I would pass by them the many times I ran to the pharmacy to pick up meds needed immediately.

Lo and behold, the civilian head of housekeeping was brought in - in a coma - with a blood alcohol level off the charts. He had been shopping at the time.

We were Army and obeyed - but we couldn't get rid of non-productive civilian employees who were the worst example of government do-nothings - because they did nothing and hurt the sick and wounded active duty and retired military.