Published Date: 2009-11-17 22:00:03
Subject: PRO/EDR> Hepatitis B & C, HIV, nosocomial - Australia: (QL) alert, corr.
Archive Number: 20091117.3973

HEPATITIS B AND C, HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS, NOSOCOMIAL -
AUSTRALIA: (QUEENSLAND) ALERT; CORRECTION
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Date: Tue 17 Nov 2009
Source: World News Australia, Special Broadcasting Service (SBS),
Australian Associated Press (AAP) report [edited]
<http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1133822/HIV.-hepatitis-fears-over-dirty-instruments>


[ProMED-mail is indebted to Lessie Davis <Ldavistitmouse@aol.com> for
alerting us to an error in the moderator's comment in the original
posting of this report Archive# 20091117.3967, which concerns the
reason for the recall of 2 of 33 former dental patients. A corrected
version follows.]

HIV, hepatitis fears over dirty instruments
-------------------------------------------
Hundreds of people face an anxious wait after a failure in procedures
at a Queensland hospital led to fears they may have contracted HIV
[human immunodeficiency virus] or hepatitis [virus infection].
Authorities are contacting 274 people who were patients at the
Bundaberg Hospital dental health clinic between 6 and 13 Nov 2009
because of the scare.

Sunshine Coast-Wide Bay Health Service infectious disease physician
Dr David Sowden said one load of dental instruments cleaned on 6 Nov
2009 was not subjected to the final steam sterilisation process. But
he said the cleaning process that was undertaken, which included
detergent and an ultra-sonic cleanser, would have reduced the risk of
contamination considerably. "If there were blood-borne viruses
present at the onset of cleaning, the risk of transmission to a
subsequent client at the clinic is considered very low for hepatitis
B [virus] and extremely low for hepatitis C [virus] and HIV," he said.

Authorities have successfully contacted 31 of the 33 patients on whom
the instruments were used prior to the problem occurring. "Urgent
contact with the final 2 patients is currently being sought," Dr Sowden said.

Dr Sowden said these patients have been asked to provide their
medical histories and have all agreed to undertake a blood test. None
have indicated they have a blood-borne disease and the 1st of the
test results should be known from Friday [20 Nov 2009]. Queensland
Health is offering testing for any of the 274 patients who visited
the clinic after the problem occurred.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Brent Barrett

[The inadequately sterilised batch of instruments had been used
previously to treat a group of 33 patients. Hence if any of these 33
patients carried blood borne infections (specifically hepatitis B
and/ or HIV) there would be a minimal risk of transmission of
infection to any of the group of 274 patients subsequently exposed to
theses instruments. The purpose of the recall of the 33 patents is to
carry out blood tests to detect possible blood borne infections which
might put the other 274 patients at risk. Two of the 33 original
patients have still to be located in order to complete the blood
screening process.

The location of the Sunshine Coast-Wide Bay Health District can be
found in the map of Queensland Health districts at
<http://www.health.qld.gov.au/maps/images/DHS_Map.pdf>. - Mod.CP]

[The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Australia is available at
<http://healthmap.org/r/00-r>. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

See Also

Hepatitis B & C, HIV, nosocomial - Australia: (QL) alert 20091117.3967
...................cp/ejp/dk

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