During an internal review of hospital safety, the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center discovered on March 4th that a part of the equipment used in colonoscopies and other gastrointestinal procedures was not being disinfected, only rinsed – contrary to the manufacturer’s recommendation. This suboptimal sterilization of equipment has led hospital officials to announce a potential increase in risk of HIV and hepatitis transmission for those who have undergone gastrointestinal procedures at the medical center, although there’s no evidence that any patients have been infected. The hospital has sent letters to over 2,500 veterans, and are still trying to reach another 700. Concerned patients and family can call the 24 hour Miami VA hotline at 305-575-7256 or toll free at 1-877-575-7256.
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Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.