Eighth Hepatitis C Case Linked to Endoscopy Center

Las Vegas, NVThe eighth case of hepatitis C has now been linked back to the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. This news has got the community worried even more since there are approximately 40,000 patients treated at the facility in which recommendations have been made to get tested for hepatitis C because of a possible exposure through contaminated syringes and orders from management that told doctors to treat as many as they can as fast as they can.

First of all, an endoscopy is a tool that is used to detect colorectal cancer and it is very important that doctors and nurses pay close attention to the procedure since all polyps look different. The assembly-line style that was used at the facility by the doctors and nurses that led to the carelessness that resulted in contaminated needles being used on patients, has patients worried that they may indeed have polyps that were not seen or even cancer by this point. This has added onto the anxiety felt by the patients because it is very possible that the number of hepatitis C cases that are found could grow.

However, many of the patients are wondering why they are not being notified. Those who were treated at the Endoscopy Center on Shadow Lane were notified, but those from the Desert Shadow clinic have not been. Both clinics have had hepatitis C cases linked to them. But the health district says that patient records are needed in order to notify the patients individually that they should be tested for hepatitis C. The only problem is that the records were seized in the criminal investigation.

What they do know is that the eighth individual who contracted hepatitis C had the procedure done in June 2005. It was nine weeks after the procedure that the symptoms began presenting themselves. Fortunately, the individual had no other risk factors and has now recovered. But what is frightening is the fact that the health district is receiving 20 to 40 reports of positive hepatitis C cases each day, which now brings the total to over 150 reports. However, the health district does have to confirm that these cases are linked with one of the two clinics that have had confirmed cases. And now the confirmed cases has been raised to eight, so it may take some time to confirm that the other cases reported to the health district are indeed a result of injections received from the Endoscopy Center. Those interviews with patients are now in progress.

Some of those who received injections in January have to wait an entire six months from the procedure date before they can be tested. This means that it could be months before the interview process is complete.

By: Ginger Gillenwater