Further on medical transmission - Hepatitis Message Board

sean · 09-18-2003, 06:04 PM

I think medical procedures are indeed implicated in many cases of hep b or c. The more I think about this, the more I remember various readings, such as the hundreds of Egyptian dialysis patients who came down with hcv, or a study i stumbled upon (from latvia) that examined in-hospital transmission among children, and said, in part: "Hospital-acquired hepatitis B (HBV) and C virus (HCV) infections continue to occur despite increased awareness of this problem among the medical community. One hundred six patients were infected in a haematology oncology ward for children, over the time period 1996 to 2000."

And so on. In other words, where it's been looked for, it's been found. So, I think that the reassuring words we've heard on medical procdures NOT being the vector of viral spread may be true in large part, especially nowadays as health care workers are trained and re-trained, but the exceptions are apparently more than a few, and they are important. And, for every year we look back in recent history, I'll bet procedures were less and less absolutely safe.

With all the mysterious "no risk factor" cases out there in the US population, maybe our medical brethren should not be so quick to excuse their own industry, and therefore, their colleagues and themselves from the causation chain.

My opinion only. (of course)

sean

crybabytoo · 09-18-2003, 07:12 PM

Sean; Not only are our "medical providers" quick to excuse themselves of culpability, but here in texas, have just managed to lobby for and get a State law passed (proposition 12 on the ballot) limiting a consumer's right to sue for punitive damages. You should have seen the TV blitz. Under the guise of vilifying a "small number of trial lawyers" for seeking excessive damages, the TV ads portrayed a physician claiming insurance premiums are so high that docs are being forced to seek other employment. Thus, our citizens will not have adequate medical coverage in the future... Yeah, we bought it.

Wes1212 · 09-18-2003, 09:41 PM

When I am asked where I got HCV, my answer is always, "from a contaminated (dirty) medical procedure".

Last spring when I was having radioactive dye injected into my arm, the tester told me that other medical personel would greatly appreciate me telling them of my status with HCV, that they would be more careful.

That made me wonder where all the IV needle had been before he put it in me. All I could do was look at him and ask, "you mean you don't practice universal precautions?"