400+ Piedmont Healthcare Patients at Risk for Hepatitis, HIV
More than 400 people who had outpatient procedures at a Piedmont Healthcare facility in Atlanta are getting notice that they are at risk for infection of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or even HIV.
Piedmont Healthcare says an employee at its Piedmont West Surgery Center, on Howell Mill Road, failed to follow complete disinfecting procedures for scopes used for colonoscopies.
The failures in procedure happened between May 18, 2011, and April 17, 2013, and put 456 patients at risk.An audio version of this story
Piedmont Healthcare says no patients have reported any problems so far.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the risk of contracting the disease from the scopes is extremely low. But the CDC also says it can be ten years or more before patients with -IV show symptoms and even longer with hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Many of the symptoms of all three of those diseases can mimic other, less serious health problems.
Piedmont Healthcare has sent letters to the patients and is offering free screenings and physician counseling with no cut-off date.
9(MDAxODM0MDY4MDEyMTY4NDA3MzI3YjkzMw004))
Related
Top Stories
