NY Anesthesiologist Uses Syringes Twice! Hepatitis Found
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By Gerry Oginski
An anesthesiologist in New York has recently been found to have used the same syringe to inject medication into different patients. As a result of this breach of infection control, two of his patients have contracted hepatitis.
How could this happen in today’s day and age? Here’s an apparently well-trained physician who claimed, according to his PR person’s statement that “He was unaware that what he was doing was incorrect.” Give me a break. It’s common knowledge that you don’t re-use needles, and you certainly don’t re-use syringes. Why would anyone re-use a syringe? It makes no sense.
Here’s how it happened, according to the New York State Department of Health:
The anesthesiologist used a clean needle and syringe to obtain medicine from a vial. The medicine was injected into patient #1. The anesthesiologist removed the needle and then replaced the needle onto the syringe that he had used for patient #1. He then sticks the new needle and old syringe into the original medicine vial he used for patient #1. He then injects medicine into patient #2.
After an investigation by the department of health, they determined that a trace amount of patient #1′s bodily fluids likely ended up in the syringe after the first injection. When this doctor inserted the new needle and old syringe into the old medicine vial, it likely contaminated it with patient #1 blood. The tainted medicine vial was then used to inject other patients.
Infection control is critical to preventing errors such as this one where two patients suffered hepatitis from this doctor’s improper infection control. The doctor claims that he was cleared by the Department of Health, and given remedial instruction on how to use these ‘multi-use’ vials.
However, when looked at from a legal point of view, and not from a Department of Health regulation point of view, one could certainly argue that there was a departure from good medical care that resulted in significant harm (the hepatitis) to the patient.
I’ll leave it to the politicians to point fingers at the New York State Department of Health and the Nassau County Department of Health about why they didn’t notify this doctors’ patients two years ago about the possibility they may have contracted hepatitis from this improper procedure.
Importantly, if you believe you contracted hepatitis or other infectious disease from improper infection control, you should contact an experienced New York medical malpractice lawyer immediately.
Gerry Oginski is an experienced medical malpractice and personal injury trial attorney practicing law in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, New York, Staten Island, Nassau & Suffolk. He has tirelessly represented injured victims in all types of medical malpractice and injury cases for over 19 years. As a solo practitioner he is able to devote 100% of his time to each individual client. A client is never a file number in his office.
Take a look at Gerry’s website http://www.oginski-law.com and read his free special reports on malpractice and accident law. Read actual testimony of real doctors in medical malpractice cases. Learn answers to your legal questions. We have over 200 FAQs to the most interesting legal questions. Read about his success stories. Read the latest injury and malpractice news. I guarantee there’s something for you. See Gerry’s website at http://www.oginski-law.com
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