Mass General Brigham Salem Hospital is facing a class action lawsuit alleging hundreds of patients may have been infected with HIV and hepatitis. The lawsuit is against Massachusetts General Brigham, Salem Hospital, and 10 hospital employees, alleging that the hospital inadvertently administered intravenous drugs during endoscopy procedures from June 2021 to April of this year. has been accused of. The hospital said the risk of infection is very low and no infections have been confirmed. The hospital said in a statement that it became aware of an isolated practice involving an endoscopy patient earlier this year. Examples of endoscopy include colonoscopy and gastrointestinal ultrasound. The hospital said the practice was corrected immediately after it was reported, and the hospital’s quality and infection control teams were also notified. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced that it conducted an on-site investigation at Salem Hospital. DPH’s Office of Healthcare Safety and Quality and the Office of Infectious Diseases and Laboratory Sciences are working with Commander-in-Chief Brigham’s Infection Control Team to manage the situation. Both DPH and Salem Hospital said the risk of infection to patients is extremely small and there is no possibility of infection. Known evidence of infection due to exposure. Salem Hospital said the exposed patients are being tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. A spokesperson for Salem Hospital said all potentially exposed patients have been notified and 90% have completed, scheduled or declined free testing. A spokesperson for Massachusetts General Brigham said patients who have not been notified do not need to worry.
Mass General Brigham Salem Hospital is facing a class action lawsuit alleging hundreds of patients may have been infected with HIV and hepatitis.
The lawsuit is against Massachusetts General Brigham, Salem Hospital and 10 hospital employees, alleging that the hospital inadvertently administered intravenous drugs during endoscopy procedures from June 2021 to April of this year. has been accused of.
The hospital said the risk of infection is very low and no infections have been confirmed.
The hospital said in a statement that it became aware of an isolated practice involving an endoscopy patient earlier this year. Examples of endoscopy include colonoscopy and gastrointestinal ultrasound.
The hospital said the practice was corrected immediately after it was reported, and the hospital’s quality and infection control team was also notified.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced that it conducted an on-site investigation at Salem Hospital. DPH’s Office of Healthcare Safety and Quality and the Office of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences are working with the Brigham’s infection control team to manage the situation.
Both DPH and Salem Hospital said the risk of infection to patients is extremely low and there is no known evidence of infection from exposure. Salem Hospital says the exposed patients are being tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
A spokesperson for Salem Hospital said all potentially infected patients have been notified and 90% have completed, scheduled or declined free testing.
A spokesperson for Massachusetts General Brigham said patients who have not been notified do not need to worry.
