.Army Hospital May Have Spread Disease With Shared Insulin Pens
March 19 (Bloomberg) -- More than 2,000 people may have been put at risk of AIDS and hepatitis by sharing insulin pens and cartridges in two Army hospitals, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
The FDA posted a warning today against sharing the disposable insulin shots after the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, last month said 2,114 diabetic patients may be at risk “as a result of incorrect procedures.” The sharing occurred from 2007-2009, the FDA said in a statement issued today.
The shots carry multiple doses of insulin intended for a single patient. The hospitals reportedly replaced the needle for each shot as indicated, though they may have improperly used the same pens for multiple patients, according to the FDA. Even with a fresh needle, the pen reservoir or cartridge can still be contaminated with blood, the FDA said.
“They were changing pens and weren’t following the manufacturer’s procedures,” said Clarence Davis III, a spokesman for the hospital, today in a telephone interview. “There is an ongoing investigation to determine how it happened. It wasn’t cost-cutting.”
The Army identified a second hospital that may have been sharing the shots as Fort Polk’s Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital in Louisiana. “Less than 10” patients may have been exposed there, Davis said. Two types of insulin pens were used, he said, declining to identify the brands.
Following Instructions
“Current instructions for use for all insulin pens already state that the pens are not to be shared among patients,” the FDA said.
The Associated Press reported March 10 that 16 patients from William Beaumont may have tested positive for hepatitis C as a result of the practice. The FDA said that while “some” patients may have tested positive, it isn’t known whether they had the disease previously and weren’t diagnosed.
The Army Surgeon General ordered a service-wide review, the Texas hospital said in its Feb. 5 statement. The type of pen was used in nine facilities. The pens were used correctly at seven, according to the statement.
Efforts are under way to identify and test patients, the Army said.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Bllomberg
The FDA posted a warning today against sharing the disposable insulin shots after the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, last month said 2,114 diabetic patients may be at risk “as a result of incorrect procedures.” The sharing occurred from 2007-2009, the FDA said in a statement issued today.
The shots carry multiple doses of insulin intended for a single patient. The hospitals reportedly replaced the needle for each shot as indicated, though they may have improperly used the same pens for multiple patients, according to the FDA. Even with a fresh needle, the pen reservoir or cartridge can still be contaminated with blood, the FDA said.
“They were changing pens and weren’t following the manufacturer’s procedures,” said Clarence Davis III, a spokesman for the hospital, today in a telephone interview. “There is an ongoing investigation to determine how it happened. It wasn’t cost-cutting.”
The Army identified a second hospital that may have been sharing the shots as Fort Polk’s Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital in Louisiana. “Less than 10” patients may have been exposed there, Davis said. Two types of insulin pens were used, he said, declining to identify the brands.
Following Instructions
“Current instructions for use for all insulin pens already state that the pens are not to be shared among patients,” the FDA said.
The Associated Press reported March 10 that 16 patients from William Beaumont may have tested positive for hepatitis C as a result of the practice. The FDA said that while “some” patients may have tested positive, it isn’t known whether they had the disease previously and weren’t diagnosed.
The Army Surgeon General ordered a service-wide review, the Texas hospital said in its Feb. 5 statement. The type of pen was used in nine facilities. The pens were used correctly at seven, according to the statement.
Efforts are under way to identify and test patients, the Army said.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Bllomberg
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