Investigations continue in St Louis following sterilisation blunder
Investigations are underway after a sterilisation blunder threatened the health of more than 1,800 veterans in St Louis.
Yesterday, the deputy undersecretary for Health and Operations and Management, William Schoenhard, visited the John Cochran Medical Center in St Louis and met staff who were working at the facility during the period when dental equipment, which was not sterilised properly, was being used to treat patients.
The incident is being investigated by an independent panel of three people; the panel will conduct interviews and complete a thorough review of the sterilisation procedure at the centre.
There was an outcry following the revelation of the incident in the national press last week, with members of Congress condemning the practise of the centre and veteran’s representatives speaking out against staff at the facility; however, Mr Schoenhard supported the staff at the centre saying that they had acted diligently and compassionately after the extent of the problem was announced. Mr Schoenhard also apologised to the veterans and their relatives and promised to complete a thorough investigation. Officials will use the findings of the review to create a template for practise, which will help to ensure a similar incident does not happen in the future.
The blunder at the John Cochran Center is thought to be linked to problems during the prewash phase of the sterilisation process; as a consequence, officials say the chance of infection is extremely low. More than 1,800 veterans who attended the clinic between February 2008 and March 2010 have been contacted and invited to attend free blood tests for infections including hepatitis and HIV. So far, around 480 veterans have responded; test results are expected to be available in two weeks time.
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