Hepatitis C Outbreak at Atlantic City Hospital
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 by Joseph L. Messa
Officials at have reported 15 cases of hepatitis C at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Administrators from the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center’s City Campus contacted the state this month after discovering five recent cases of hepatitis C during an annual federally mandated hepatitis C testing of dialysis patients.
Testing took place in April as well as early this month. Five patients became positive for hepatitis C since they began undergoing treatment at AtlantiCare. Reports state that the 15 patients contracted the serious and sometimes deadly liver disease starting in 2005.
According to New Jersey health officials, the state saw over 100 acute and 7,000 chronic hepatitis C cases in 2007, adding that the Center’s dialysis unit treats between 70 to 80 kidney patients monthly, with patients visiting the center three times a week for dialysis. Kidney dialysis involves the patient’s blood being pumped into a dialysis machine, where it is filtered and returned to the patient’s body. Dialysis machines at the center are inspected once every two years. The hospital maintains it follows strict guidelines that include disinfection and cleaning of the equipment.
The 15 infected patients were part of a group of 245 patients. The dialysis center has a lower-than-average patient survival rate when compared to the state. The origin of the virus is still unknown. Patricia Diamond, Atlantic County Health Officer, said finding the source of the virus might not be easy. “Any investigation of a communicable disease is not black and white. They are complicated. All of the information has to be carefully reviewed before anything is determined.” Improper maintenance or use of dialysis machines is medical malpractice.
The hospital, the state, and health officials are diligently working to determine the cause and origin of the virus.
Please contact Messa & Associates for more information. Our Philadelphia personal injury lawyers and medical malpractice attorneys are experienced with cases involving hepatitis C infections and medical personnel or equipment errors.
