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Nearly 1,150 Quebec patients to be tested after surgical tools poorly cleaned

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Nearly 1,150 hip-surgery patients in Quebec will be tested for hepatitis and HIV after a commonly used surgical tool was improperly sterilized at 12 hospitals, the provincial Health Department said Tuesday.

Nearly 1,150 hip-surgery patients in Quebec will be tested for hepatitis and HIV after a commonly used surgical tool was improperly sterilized at 12 hospitals, the provincial Health Department said Tuesday. A department spokeswoman said the recall could be expanded as the province continues its investigation into the handling of a metal reamer used during hip-replacement surgery. “About 40 hospitals use this tool,” spokeswoman Dominique Breton said in an interview. “Patients will receive all of the information and the letters were sent out as of (Tuesday).” It was not immediately known whether other hospitals among the 40 will be added to the recall list. The Montreal General and Sacre-Coeur hospitals had already announced Monday they would contact nearly 250 patients who received hip replacements using the instruments. About 900 others were added to the list following a month-long investigation by the province. The problem first came to light in January when an employee at Sacre-Coeur discovered that the instrument in question could be taken apart and cleaned more thoroughly. The Health Department said it was informed of the situation on March 12 and launched a probe that uncovered similar problems at 11 other hospitals. Breton said she couldn’t confirm reports that the tool’s cleaning instructions failed to mention the device had to be taken apart before sterilization. “We are not trying to assign blame,” she said. “We are concentrating right now on recalling patients and maybe we’ll find shortcomings as our investigation continues.” Health Canada said Tuesday it completed a risk assessment of the surgical device and found the instructions that accompanied it were clear. “We are going to put a public advisory on our web site to warn users of the importance of following the manufacturer’s cleaning and sterilization instructions,” said spokeswoman Paige Raymond Kovach. “We’re also following up with the manufacturer to ensure that all users are following the manufacturer’s instructions.” Jean-Pierre Menard, a prominent malpractice lawyer, said the hospitals and the equipment manufacturer are both responsible and could be sued. “The manufacturer has a duty to make their instructions sufficiently clear to ensure their product can’t hurt anyone,” said Menard, who received a number of calls from worried patients this week. “Hospitals also have an obligation to ensure their equipment works properly.” The sterilization alert is the second in Quebec this year. Last month, the government asked more than 1,100 people to be tested for HIV and hepatitis after a woman who practised acupuncture illegally for 25 years failed to follow proper cleaning techniques. The Quebec cases followed a number of similar health scares in Ontario that led to an audit of hospital sterilization techniques in that province. The Canadian Healthcare Association, which represents provincial hospital organizations, said health-care budget cuts have led to a decline in cleaning procedures. “Some of the first cutback areas were infection-control specialists,” president Sharon Sholzberg-Gray said in an interview. “Everything is based on having enough workers with knowledge and training.” Menard said he’ll meet with patients before a decision is made on whether to file a class-action lawsuit. (Source: Canadian Press, April 2004)


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Dates

Posted On: 15 April, 2004
Modified On: 5 December, 2013


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