Hepatitis Scare in Las Vegas

Running Head: Becknel Article Review

Becknel Article Review: Hepatitis C Scare in Las Vegas

Shelton K. Becknel

HCS 457

October 24, 2010

Sarah Dunn

In February 2008, over 40,000 Nevadans were contacted that they may have been exposed to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis strains B and C after having surgical procedures at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. Patients who had visited the center between March 2004 and Jan. 11, 2008, were advised to be tested for possible exposure to hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV. This action was based on initial investigations of possible patient exposure from the Endoscopy Center. The initial positive results didn’t cause alarm because hepatitis C is contracted a couple of times a year in Southern Nevada, but the Southern Nevada Health District annually investigates more than 1,300 cases of other common ailments. The Southern Nevada Health District employs six disease investigators who’s job is to interview patients and look for clues that may lead to an answer as to why and how they contracted a disease. In this case, investigators interviewed patients and found out three patients all had surgical procedures performed at the same facility.

Upon determining where the patients had possibly contracted hepatitis C, the state investigative team entered the clinic in full force and commandeered a conference room to cross-reference a log of clinic patients with a computer database of known hepatitis C carriers in the county, to determine whether any recently identified carriers might have contracted it at the clinic. The investigation started with the two days when the three patients were known to have been infected. Then they expanded to other dates. In the end, the team identified three more patients who had been infected with hepatitis.

It was determined that a nurse would administer an injection of anesthetic to put the patient to sleep before a colonoscopy. If the...