Thousands of Hospital Patients in Oregon May Have Been Exposed to Hepatitis, HIV

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, July 12, 2024 -- After an anesthesiologist may have exposed thousands of people treated at several hospitals in Oregon to hepatitis and HIV, those patients are being advised to get tested for the diseases.

Two health care providers in Portland -- Providence and Legacy Health -- have been told to offer the tests as a safety precaution.

"We recently learned that Providence’s comprehensive infection control practices may not have been followed by a physician during some procedures at Portland-area hospitals, including Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center, Providence Portland Medical Center and other non-Providence hospitals," Providence said in a statement issued Thursday. "The physician was employed by Oregon Anesthesiology Group (OAG), which no longer provides services for Providence."

The physician is no longer employed by OAG, according to the statement.

"The actions of this physician might have put patients at a low risk of exposure to possible infections, including hepatitis B and C and human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]," the statement added.

The health care system is notifying about 2,220 patients seen at Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center in Oregon City and two patients seen at Providence Portland Medical Center.

The company said the tests would be offered for free. If a patient tests positive, Providence will reach out to discuss next steps, the statement added.

Meanwhile, Legacy Health said it was reaching out to 211 patients treated at the Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham, Ore., who may have been exposed, NBC News reported.

"Upon learning of this situation, we immediately suspended the provider and launched a comprehensive investigation in accordance with regulations and with our policies and procedures," Legacy said in a statement.

A statement from Oregon Anesthesiology Group said that it had suspended the physician after launching its own investigation, NBC News reported.

"Even though the risk of infection was low, new protocols and procedures have been put in place to prevent similar incidents in the future," the group's statement said.

Sources

  • Providence, news release, July 11, 2024
  • NBC News

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2024-07-12 23:15

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords