Salem, Massachusetts (WBZ News Radio) — Salem Hospital warned Wednesday that hundreds of its patients may have been infected with HIV, hepatitis A and hepatitis B over a period of nearly two years.
The hospital said nearly 450 endoscopy patients may have been exposed due to improper intravenous medication administration.
“Once identified, this practice was immediately corrected and the hospital quality and infection control teams were notified,” the hospital said in a statement.
Salem hospital officials said a comprehensive review determined the incident posed “minimal” risk of infection to patients. The hospital said it has notified all potentially affected patients, set up a hotline staffed by clinicians to answer questions and offer them free screening and any necessary support.
“To date, there is no evidence that this incident resulted in any infection,” the hospital said.
Hospital officials stressed that patients should not be concerned if they do not receive notifications.
“Patient safety is our top priority and we have taken multiple corrective actions in response to this incident. We sincerely apologize to those affected and we remain committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care to our community health care,” Salem Hospital said.