Blood testing bungle puts 55 at risk of AIDS / Hepatitis

[Guest guest]

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Blood testing bungle puts 55 at risk of AIDS / Hepatitis

By Noone

From: The Daily Telegraph

February 09, 2011

Read more:

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AN error with a blood testing machine has exposed 55 people to the risk of HIV

and hepatitis.

The 53 patients and two staff were told on Monday by the NSW Gosford clinic of

PRP Diagnostic Imaging, Australia's largest private radiology company, that they

had all been tested with the same needle.

It recommended they undergo hepatitis B and C and HIV blood tests.

" I sincerely apologise that this has occurred and for any concern this may cause

you, " the clinic's director Dr Uday Ahluwalia said in a letter sent to patients.

The 53 patients had gone to the clinic for a positron emission tomography (PET)

scan used to determine the severity of cancers, neurological conditions and

cardiovascular disease.

As part of the scan they were required to have their blood sugar levels tested

with an Accu-Chek Multiclix, a simple device used by thousands of diabetics

daily.

It contains several needles in a replaceable drum but instead of switching to

the next needle manually after each patient, it was left unchanged between

November 28 and January 28.

" Our nurse who performed all the estimates thought that advancing to the next

needle was automated, " Dr Ahluwalia said.

PRP Chairman Dr confirmed the error was discovered by accident on

Thursday when a staff member with diabetes asked the nurse to check her blood

sugar levels.

The clinic sought advice from Gosford Hospital's infectious disease specialist

Dr Deo DeWitt who, Dr said, classified the risk of this type of needle

stick injury as " low or very low " .

" It was very regrettable and we are extremely distressed it happened, " Dr

said. " We are shattered by it as much as anyone. "

Based on the clinic's current information, none of the affected patients had any

communicable diseases but it is cold comfort for cancer patients such as Anne

Young (not her real name).

" When I opened the letter I felt like I wanted to fall on the floor, I was

sick, " the 54-year-old said.

Mrs Young was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in April and has undergone

chemotherapy and radiology and her immune system is suppressed.

The mother of three had the $400 test to see if the tumour had shrunk. The

letter not only revealed the company had " buggered " the test but also that her

tumour had not shrunk.

" These are some of the sickest, most vulnerable patients whose immune system is

already compromised and we have to be tested for HIV and hepatitis - and then

wait for three months to do another test? "

Read more:

http://www.news.com.au/national/blood-testing-bungle-puts-55-at-risk-of-aids/sto\

ry-e6frfkvr-1226002569849#ixzz1DUEjswj3

[Guest guest]

http://www.news.com.au/national/blood-testing-bungle-puts-55-at-risk-of-aids/sto\

ry-e6frfkvr-1226002569849

Blood testing bungle puts 55 at risk of AIDS / Hepatitis

By Noone

From: The Daily Telegraph

February 09, 2011

Read more:

http://www.news.com.au/national/blood-testing-bungle-puts-55-at-risk-of-aids/sto\

ry-e6frfkvr-1226002569849#ixzz1DUEFqqMj

AN error with a blood testing machine has exposed 55 people to the risk of HIV

and hepatitis.

The 53 patients and two staff were told on Monday by the NSW Gosford clinic of

PRP Diagnostic Imaging, Australia's largest private radiology company, that they

had all been tested with the same needle.

It recommended they undergo hepatitis B and C and HIV blood tests.

" I sincerely apologise that this has occurred and for any concern this may cause

you, " the clinic's director Dr Uday Ahluwalia said in a letter sent to patients.

The 53 patients had gone to the clinic for a positron emission tomography (PET)

scan used to determine the severity of cancers, neurological conditions and

cardiovascular disease.

As part of the scan they were required to have their blood sugar levels tested

with an Accu-Chek Multiclix, a simple device used by thousands of diabetics

daily.

It contains several needles in a replaceable drum but instead of switching to

the next needle manually after each patient, it was left unchanged between

November 28 and January 28.

" Our nurse who performed all the estimates thought that advancing to the next

needle was automated, " Dr Ahluwalia said.

PRP Chairman Dr confirmed the error was discovered by accident on

Thursday when a staff member with diabetes asked the nurse to check her blood

sugar levels.

The clinic sought advice from Gosford Hospital's infectious disease specialist

Dr Deo DeWitt who, Dr said, classified the risk of this type of needle

stick injury as " low or very low " .

" It was very regrettable and we are extremely distressed it happened, " Dr

said. " We are shattered by it as much as anyone. "

Based on the clinic's current information, none of the affected patients had any

communicable diseases but it is cold comfort for cancer patients such as Anne

Young (not her real name).

" When I opened the letter I felt like I wanted to fall on the floor, I was

sick, " the 54-year-old said.

Mrs Young was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in April and has undergone

chemotherapy and radiology and her immune system is suppressed.

The mother of three had the $400 test to see if the tumour had shrunk. The

letter not only revealed the company had " buggered " the test but also that her

tumour had not shrunk.

" These are some of the sickest, most vulnerable patients whose immune system is

already compromised and we have to be tested for HIV and hepatitis - and then

wait for three months to do another test? "

Read more:

http://www.news.com.au/national/blood-testing-bungle-puts-55-at-risk-of-aids/sto\

ry-e6frfkvr-1226002569849#ixzz1DUEjswj3