Twenty-five patients of 293 who were potentially exposed to hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV at Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield, Mass., are planning to sue the hospital, according to a WWLP report.
Here are four things to know:
1. In January, 293 patients who had undergone colonoscopies at the hospital between June 2012 and April 2013 were sent a letter informing the patients they may have been exposed to hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV.
2. Between June 2012 and April 2013, the hospital was using new equipment for colonoscopies; however, the disinfection process at the time may not have been adequate for the new colonoscopies.
3. The patients' lawyer claims that the problems with the disinfectant process were brought to the attention of hospital leadership in 2013, but patients were not informed at that time they may have been exposed to life-threatening diseases.
4. The hospital released a statement that noted: "To date there is no evidence of any transmission of illness from the endoscopes. The safety and privacy of our patients remains our top priority as we move forward in this process."
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