California: No Contest Plea in Palo Alto Case of Dirty Needles

A former Palo Alto, Calif., blood technician pleaded no contest Monday to charges stemming from her reusing needles, an act that prompted health officials to urge thousands of people to seek testing for hepatitis and HIV. Elaine Giorgi, 55, pleaded no contest in Santa Clara County Superior Court to four felony counts of illegal treatment or disposal of medical waste and one misdemeanor count of falsifying medical records. Giorgi faces a maximum five-year sentence in state prison, said Deputy District Attorney Dale Sanderson, who prosecuted the case. Currently free on $25,000 bail, Giorgi is scheduled for sentencing on July 18.

Working as a phlebotomist at a SmithKline Beecham clinic in Palo Alto, Giorgi came under the scrutiny of state health officials in April 1999, not long after a co-worker reported that she saw Giorgi reusing needles after washing them with water and a diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide. Giorgi's case led to a new law requiring tougher education and training standards for technicians who draw blood.

SmithKline officials interviewed the phlebotomist, fired her and notified the state Department of Health Services, which barred Giorgi from working in the medical field. Health officials fined SmithKline Beecham $102,000 and urged thousands of patients to be tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. A state study found no increased incidence of infection among 4,890 patients who had blood drawn by Giorgi.

The case led to at least 17 state and federal lawsuits against SmithKline and Giorgi, including one from a woman who said she was infected with hepatitis C. Some of the cases have been dismissed, including one class-action suit.

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