Veterans Administration: 16 Patients of Problem Clinics Infected

The Veterans Administration warned on Friday that the number of viral infections linked to contaminated equipment at its facilities could rise. To date, 10 colonoscopy patients at a VA medical center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., have tested positive for hepatitis, and six patients at the VA's ear, nose and throat clinic in Augusta, Ga., have tested positive for unspecified viral infections, said spokesperson Katie Roberts.

The announcement follows recent news that the VA medical center in Miami sent out letters advising 3,260 patients who had colonoscopies between May 2004 and March 12 to get tested for hepatitis, HIV and other infectious diseases. That alert brings to 10,000 the number of veterans warned of possible exposure to contamination at the three VA facilities. All three sites failed to properly sterilize equipment, and the problems date back more than five years at the Murfreesboro and Miami hospitals. The VA's inspector general's office has initiated a review, said spokesperson Joanne Moffett.

According to the VA, only about half of the Murfreesboro and Augusta patients notified via letter have requested department blood tests. Some veterans said they opted to be tested by their private physicians.

Roberts said four Tennessee patients have tested positive for hepatitis B and six for hepatitis C; none has tested positive for HIV, she said. The VA will ensure that anyone who tests positive will "get the best possible treatment," even though it is not known whether the infections stemmed from its facilities, she added.

An internal alert concerning infection-control procedures was issued following the December discovery of problems at the Tennessee hospital, said Roberts. Two weeks after a review of procedures and training at facilities nationwide, the VA cannot yet say if patients at other locations were exposed to improperly sanitized equipment, she said.

In the meantime, the Miami hospital has suspended performing colonoscopies until it can determine why equipment used in the procedure had not been properly sanitized.

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