Close to 1,200 patients who underwent surgery between April 1 and September 30 at Indiana's Goshen Hospital may have been exposed to infectious diseases, according to an article on the WSTB website.
One of the hospital's surgical instrument sterilization technicians failed to complete a necessary step, meaning patients could have been exposed to hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, and human immunodeficiency (HIV) virus, health officials said.
The surgical instruments in question were still treated with other usual chemical disinfection and machine sterilization processes which include a wide margin of safety.
But the hospital can't determine if such instruments were completely sterile prior to use.
EV Charging Stations: Planning for Safety, Convenience, Expansion
Why Ambulatory Surgery Centers Are Turning to Dedicated HVAC Systems
Ground Broken on UW Health University Row Medical Center
Better, More Thorough Cleaning Saves Lives
Encompass Health Opens the Rehabilitation Hospital of Amarillo