A Georgia-based VA Medical center briefly halted medical procedures earlier this year after discovering internal concerns involving the reprocessing of reusable medical equipment.
Carl Vinson VA Medical Center in Dublin, Ga., is providing free testing for blood-borne infections to more than 4,000 patients after learning they may have been exposed to improperly sterilized medical equipment, local CBS affiliate WMAZ reports.
The Dublin VA is notifying veterans who had a dentistry, endoscopy, urology, podiatry, optometry or surgical procedure throughout the last year of potential exposure to blood-borne illnesses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, according to The Telegraph.
Manuel Davila, director of the Dublin VA, in a Feb. 9 letter sent to veterans who may have been affected and obtained by WMAZ, said the facility learned during an internal review that there may have been times when steps for thorough sterilization of medical equipment weren’t completed.
Read the full article at Becker’s Hospital Review.
