More than 3,000 patients undergoing certain routine medical procedures at Miami’s VA Medical Center are at risk of being infected with hepatitis or HIV, after hospital officials discovered March 4 that the pumps – which are attached to the tubes used in the procedures – were being rinsed but not disinfected.

 

Therefore, the hospital urged all the patients who had colonoscopies between May 2004 and March 12 of this year to get tests for HIV, hepatitis and other infectious diseases.

 

“I am deeply sorry for the situation, and I want to assure you that we are taking all the necessary steps to ensure your health,” said Miami VA director Mary Berrocal in a letter to patients dated Monday.

 

However, the hospital insisted the infection risk was minimal, saying the tubing that was improperly cleaned didn’t make contact with patients.

 

“Although there is minimal risk, we feel that even a slight risk is unacceptable to the veterans we care for,” said Susan Ward, a spokeswoman for the VA in Miami.

 

A similar incident happened in February, when about 6,400 veterans at the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., were urged to get blood tests after the VA discovered there had been improper handling of equipment used for colonoscopies.

 

Also, about 1,800 veterans treated at an ear, nose and throat clinic in Augusta, Ga., were also informed they could have been infected because of improper disinfection of an instrument. The risk was extremely small, VA officials said at the time.