According to McKay-Dee Hospital, a hospital located in northern Utah, as many as 4,800 patients may have been exposed to Hepatitis C by a nurse who was terminated in November 2014. The nurse was fired from the hospital in 
November 2014 after the hospital's drug monitoring system detected that an Emergency Department employee could potentially be diverting medications. The nurse admitted to diverting drugs in the Emergency Department that were meant for patients. The diversion was reported to local law enforcement and regulatory agencies.
The potential exposure was discovered when the Utah Department of Health informed McKay-Dee Hospital in September 2015 that the nurse and a patient treated in the hospital's Emergency Department were both infected with the same Hepatitis C genotype 2B, and it appears the two infections are related. There are four Hepatitis C genotypes and genotype 2B accounts for approximately 10 percent of all cases.
According to the hospital's spokesperson Chris Dallin, "most patients receiving care in the emergency department during that time are not at risk for having contracted Hepatitis C." However, as expected, McKay-Dee hospital has sent letters to all patients who have potentially been exposed encouraging them to receive a free blood test to rule out any possibility of exposure.
Did you know?
Healthcare Compliance Pros Communicable Diseases & Infection Control module provides information regarding Hepatitis C, including: transmission, high risk populations, and Hepatitis C facts. In addition, this module includes important information regarding Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Tuberculosis, and so much more.
If you are interested in learning more about this module, would like to add it to your account, or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of our professional consultants.