Articles Tagged with Infection

Goshen Health Hospital and Emergency Room has recently alerted patients undergoing surgical procedures between April 1, 2019 and September 30, 2019 that they may have been exposed to infectious diseases such as the hepatitis B virus, the hepatitis C virus, and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) due to their failure to fully complete a multistep sterilization process for certain surgical instruments. According to articles in the Elkhart Truth and The Goshen News, it is possible that around 1200 patients may have been affected by one of Goshen Health’s seven surgical instrument sterilization technicians failing to complete a step in their sterilization process. The situation has gained national attention.

Goshen Health is currently offering free testing to potentially affected patients, and has, according to reports, put additional policies and safety measures in place to make sure that it does not happen again.  Depending upon the circumstances surrounding the technician’s error, injuries arising out of a failure to complete a sterilization process step could constitute ordinary and/or professional negligence and could give rise to personal injury and/or medical malpractice claims for physical and emotional injuries by the affected patients.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has offered a Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities. These guidelines discuss appropriate and recommended sterilization cycle verification (verification of sterilizers with biological and chemical indicators prior to routine use), physical facilities (including areas designed for decontamination, packaging, and sterilization and storage), cleaning (cleaning and decontamination after use to prevent residual debris), packaging (in accordance with guidelines set forth by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) and other organizations), loading (allowing for sterilant circulation with proper placement of trays and items), storage (including proper wrapping and handling), and monitoring (routine checking of mechanical, chemical and biological indicators).