SALEM, Mass. — A Salem, Mass., hospital says hundreds of patients at the hospital may have been exposed to hepatitis and HIV over a two-year period.
The hospital said Wednesday in a statement issued by its parent company, Massachusetts General Brigham General Hospital, that approximately 450 endoscopy patients may have received intravenous drugs “in a manner inconsistent with our best practices.” Exposure to HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. The hospital was informed of the problem earlier this year.
“Once discovered, the practice was immediately corrected and the hospital’s quality and infection control teams were notified,” the statement said, but it did not provide specific information about how the problem occurred.
The hospital said the risk of infection to patients was “extremely low” and there was no evidence to date that any patients were infected.
The hospital said it has set up a toll-free hotline to answer questions and provide free examinations to all patients who may have been notified.
During an endoscopy, a tube-like instrument is inserted into the body to look inside, according to the American Cancer Society. Some of the most common procedures are colonoscopy, bronchoscopy, laryngoscopy, and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
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