This issue, identified by health board inspectors, arose because an official report indicates the hospital “failed to adhere to standard protocol.” Moreover, the report indicated that many areas relating to basic hygiene practices were in need of improvement. This areas included “the use of proper signage, use of protective gloves, and enhanced documentation of dialysis operations.” Some of these issues relate to good medical practice; the matter of the gloves is an important area of hygiene and needed for the avoidance of pathogen transfer.
During the period of concern, just under 600 patients were treated in the dialysis unit. The 575 patients affected received treatments between Jan. 1, 2015, and Feb. 10, 2016 in the Wesson Building on the hospital’s main campus. Each of the patients has since been notified of the concerns.
Medical staff at the facility have stated that the affected patients had now been sent a letter out of caution. The medics inferred that they the majority of the patients are unaffected and will not need any further testing. However, it is acknowledged that a small proportion of patients have been advised to make contact with the hospital and that there is a possibility that any further testing could be required.
In response to media questions, Dr. Sarah Haessler, epidemiologist at Baystate Health is quoted as saying by NENC:
“While our evidence suggests that the risk is extremely low, the safest and most proactive course of action is to notify patients that there was a deviation from standard protocol and recommend that they follow up with their physician for consultation.”
The medical professional added: “We will take any measure necessary to ensure that our patients are safe. We’ve performed an exhaustive examination of records to ensure that all these patients are receiving letters and information relevant to their individual circumstances.”
This incident follows Baystate’s announcement back in February 2016 that poor cleaning of colonoscopy equipment could have potentially exposed 293 patients to infection between 2012 and 2013.
