Doctor says HIV infections will never be traced to VA exams 050809

Doctor says HIV infections will never be traced to VA exams

Associated Press

Friday, May 8, 2009 5:30 p.m.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A top doctor at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says former patients who tested positive for HIV or hepatitis will not be able to show they were infected by tainted equipment at VA medical centers.

Five patients have tested positive for HIV and 33 have tested positive for hepatitis since the VA started notifying more than 11,000 people treated at three VA medical centers in Miami, Augusta, Ga., and Tennessee that they may have been exposed to infectious body fluids after using endoscopic equipment that wasn't properly sterilized.

The blood tests are continuing. The agency has stressed that the positive results for the diseases may not have come from hospital mistakes.

The VA's chief patient safety officer, Dr. Jim Bagian, said he doesn't think anyone will ever know.

From the Friday, May 8, 2009 online edition of The Augusta Chronicle

Reader Comments

Note: Comments are not edited and don't represent the views of The Augusta Chronicle. Please read our full comments policy. To report a post that may be inappropriate, click the

icon.

TopJobs

Augusta-area Top Jobs

Driving Haul Bricks to local construction sites. $-12hr & Full Benefits. Call us at 706.868.6800 J#101 Full Time, Permanent Position with great South Augusta Co. Pro Resources $185 Svc Fee PERM (more)

Emergency Services >ENTRY LEVEL< $16-21 | hr +Great Benefits Answer calls & dispatch proper authority. Call us at 706.868.6800 J#3413 Full Time | Permanent Pro Resources $185 Great Opportunity on Pos... (more)

Customer Service Reps Customer Service Representative Work with Soldiers. Major military consumer finance company seeks CSR's for Augusta, GA branch office. Full training provided. Excellent opportu... (more)

View all Augusta TopJobs