HIV Tests Spur Joint Inspection at Maryland General Hospital

Yesterday, state and federal inspectors and hospital accreditation officials responding to reports of suspect HIV lab tests launched an on-site survey of Baltimore's Maryland General Hospital. Though unscheduled, the visit by nine government inspectors and the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare was not a surprise: "We expected them to do a survey once we reported the incident," said Lee Kennedy, a spokesperson for the 245-bed facility. He did not know how long the inspection would last. Timothy D. Miller, the hospital's president, said its officials are cooperating fully.

The inspection came a week after the disclosure that Maryland General's lab had sent HIV and hepatitis C test results to more than 400 patients despite indications that those results might not be accurate. A complaint from a former worker alerted state officials to the problem. The hospital has launched an effort to locate and retest the affected patients. So far, Kennedy said, 36 patients have been retested; all got the same negative results they originally received. The hospital expects to have completed 100 tests by week's end.

The disclosure prompted Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) to call for a public hearing by a congressional subcommittee. The testing problem took place during a 14-month period that ended in August, about the time the hospital stopped using testing equipment manufactured by Adaltis USA Inc. During that time, state investigators found that lab personnel manipulated and eliminated data showing the tests might be wrong. The questionable results were sent to patients even though guidelines called for a retest. Former lab worker Kristin S. Turner, who said she became infected with HIV and hepatitis C as a result of faulty testing equipment, last week filed a lawsuit against the hospital, Adaltis, and her boss, James Stewart. Turner alleges she repeatedly warned hospital officials that the machine's results were unreliable.

Back to other news for March 17, 2004