Second Sterilization Scare Hits VA Hospital

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Second Sterilization Scare Hits VA Hospital

By , North American Correspondent, MedPage Today

Published: February 05, 2011

A St. Louis VA hospital has cancelled all surgeries because of possibly

contaminated equipment less than a year after an uproar over improperly cleaned

dental equipment.

Officials at Cochran VA Medical Center said a routine inspection found

spots on instrument trays and water stains on at least one surgical instrument,

according to reports.

But the apparent sterilization errors were caught before patients were operated

on, according to a statement from hospital officials, reported in local

newspapers. The Department of Veterans Affairs did not immediately respond to a

request for comment.

The reports come after more than 1,800 vets might have been exposed to pathogens

such as hepatitis and HIV because of improperly cleaned dental equipment last

June.

The Department of Veterans Affairs said at the time that " no veteran is known to

have been exposed to these viruses. "

Staff had been cleaning dental instruments by pre-washing them without the

proper detergent before putting them in cleaning machines. Their aim was

actually to improve sanitation, but a panel of experts could not rule out the

possibility of infection as a result.