The Office of the Inspector General has released a report outlining the use and reprocessing endoscopes at VA medical centers. This report was released following the March 2009 discovery that VA medical centers in Tennessee, Georgia and Florida possibly exposed more than 10,000 people to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and/or HIV through the use of endoscopic equipment that was not properly sterilized. As of April 2009, less than a third of the patients possibly affected were notified. Recently the Washington Post reported that fewer than half of randomly selected VA medical centers had properly sterilized medical equipment, used to perform colonoscopies. Additionally, these facilities failed to obey ordered to comply with guidelines. However this is not a problem found only in VA medical centers. Private hospitals have also reportedly notified thousands of patients in recent years after similar concerns arose. So, how can you protect yourself from being a victim of poor infection control?
Medical professionals advise that you can take steps to protect yourself from medical negligence of this sort. If you are going to undergo a surgical procedure or treatment of any kind, you have the right to:
1. Require that all health care providers wash their hands in front of you, before they render any physical care to you;
2. Require that any needles used are from new packages, opened in front of you;
3. If you are going to receive an injection, require that the medication administered come from a new container;
4. Require that all health care providers wear new gloves when administering care to your and/or drawing blood;and
5. If you are not comfortable with your treatment or the environment,
ask to speak with the infection control personnel at your health care
facility.
If you are the unfortunate recipient of poor health care and/or infection control, seek additional medical treatment immediately. You may also wish to speak to an attorney so you can be sure of your rights.
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