United States: An Oregon healthcare system has been accused of negligence after approximately 2,000 patients were possibly exposed to HIV and hepatitis.
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The named plaintiffs of this case are E.P, K.R., C.R., and D.C., all residents of Clackamas County, Oregon, who said in the complaint that they all underwent surgeries at different medical centers of Providence Health between March 2022 and February 2024, and all of that they received anesthesia.
The complaint also states that all the patients were later told that the physician who administered the anesthetic “failed to adhere to infection control procedures,” thus they were all possibly exposed to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV, as ABC News reported.
One cannot determine which protocols were violated in the given case. ABC News could not get a comment from Providence Health due to “pending litigation.”
Severe patients were exposed to the infection
Earlier this month, hospital and health officials reported a various and possibly as many as 2,200 patients may have been exposed to these infections.
Providence stated in their press release published on July 11 that the patients were at low risk of exposure, and those who became exposed would be notified either by a letter in the mail or a notification on the MyChart portal used by Providence.
According to a statement by Providence, “Out of an abundance of caution, we are encouraging these patients to get a blood test to screen for the aforementioned infections, at no cost,” as ABC News reported.
“If a patient tests positive, Providence will reach out to discuss their test results and next steps,” it added.
Oregon Health Authority, the state’s health care regulator, did not report any ongoing investigations when contacted to “acknowledge[d] the worry, pain and loss suffered by anyone affected by a health care-associated infection (HAI).”
The complainant claims the anesthesiologist was employed by an Oregon Anesthesiology Group (OAG) worker but also worked at different Providence medical centers from 2017 to 2023.
However, OAG ceased to offer services to Providence in November 2023. In June 2024, OAG learned that one of its anesthesiologists had neglected infection control measures.
The physician was suspended and, after that, due to an investigation for elimination, was fired, the lawsuit claims.
The group did not immediately reply to ABC News’ request for comment.
According to OAG, in a statement made a month ago, “The safety of our patients is our top priority. When we learned that the physician had violated infection control practices, we suspended him, informed our partners Legacy Health and Providence, and then began an investigation that resulted in the physician’s termination,” as USA Today reported.
“Even though the risk of infection was low, new protocols and procedures have been put in place to prevent similar incidents in the future,” it added.
What more does the lawsuit state?
The lawsuit says that the patients would have to undergo a medical treatment for exposure “which would not have been necessary in the absence of [the d] efendants’ violations alleged herein, and have to live with severe emotional and mental anguish due to [the defendants’] negligence.”
Moreover, the complaint also mentioned that hepatitis and HIV are usually not detected for months during the beginning phase of infection initiation, so the patient “will live with the anxiety, stress, and emotional distress that they may be infected with hepatitis B, hepatitis C and/or HIV.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HIV and Hepatitis C may be detected early after several weeks of exposure.
According to Adam Polk of Girard Sharp, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs, “Over 2,000 patients have now learned they were at risk of having contracted an infectious disease because of the defendant’s alleged failure to implement proper protocols to prevent this possible exposure,” as ABC News reported.
Moreover, “Since shortly after these notifications were sent out, we have been speaking with patients on a daily basis who were impacted by the potential exposure, they are obviously distressed and concerned about their health and the health of their loved ones,” said the attorney Joe Sauder of Sauder Schelkopf, who is also representing the plaintiffs, as ABC News reported.