# VA hospital may have infected 1,800 veterans with HIV



## Bob Hubbard (Jun 30, 2010)

*VA hospital may have infected 1,800 veterans with HIV*


http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/30/va.hospital.hiv/index.html?hpt=Sbin



> A Missouri VA hospital is under fire because it may have exposed more  than 1,800 veterans to life-threatening diseases such as hepatitis and  HIV. John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis has recently  mailed letters to 1,812 veterans telling them they could contract  hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) after  visiting the medical center for dental work, said Rep. Russ Carnahan.



Hospital says problem stems from handwashing dental instruments.


Um, the autoclave was invented in the 20th century....I'm sure it's been suggested to them a few times.....


----------



## CoryKS (Jun 30, 2010)

> Dr. Gina Michael, the association chief of staff at the hospital, told the affiliate that some dental technicians broke protocol by handwashing tools before putting them in cleaning machines.
> 
> The instruments were supposed to only be put in the cleaning machines, Michael said.


 
I'm confused by this.  Is the problem that the cleaning machine doesn't work, or that they're just not supposed to handwash them first?  How does handwashing the tools prior to using the machine potentially infect patients?  One would think that if the machine could remove whatever might have been on the tool after being in someone's mouth, it could remove whatever it picked up from the technician's hands.


----------



## Bob Hubbard (Jun 30, 2010)

That part confused me also.   This seems to clear it up a bit.



> Dr. Gina Michael is the association chief of staff at the hospital, and  says the failure happened because some dental technicians thought they  were doing the right thing by washing the dental tools themselves.
> 
> Dr. Michael says the techs were using a sink and strong soap to clean  the tools, when they should have sent them to the hospital sanitizing  and sterilizing department.
> 
> ...


http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=205262&catid=3


----------



## CoryKS (Jun 30, 2010)

I guess I'm slow, because I still don't get it. The tools still go through the machine, so the only way this makes sense is if washing and sterilizing are two separate stages and that the washing stage, which contributes to the sterilization, is being circumvented. This story could have been written more clearly.

So hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV are heat-resistant?


----------



## Bob Hubbard (Jun 30, 2010)

I get the feeling that some missed that machine step, they just haven't admitted it yet.


----------



## CoryKS (Jun 30, 2010)

Bob Hubbard said:


> I get the feeling that some missed that machine step, they just haven't admitted it yet.


 
Now _that_ makes sense.


----------



## Bill Mattocks (Jun 30, 2010)

OK, I think I'm following it.

Normally, you'd think an autoclave would do the job.  High heat sterilization.  Right?  And that's apparently the procedure for tools that have been hand-washed first.

However, with dental tools, autoclave is not the proper protocol, because some viruses can withstand the heat of autoclave sterilization.  So for those tools, there is a 'special washer' that does what the dental technicians were trying to do by hand before autoclaving.

They thought they were doing the right thing because the 'special washer' is not gentle and the dental tools are delicate.

A) Handwash + Autoclave = unsafe.
B) Special Washer = safe.

They were doing A, when they should have been doing B.

At least, that's how I am reading it.


----------



## cdunn (Jun 30, 2010)

CoryKS said:


> I guess I'm slow, because I still don't get it. The tools still go through the machine, so the only way this makes sense is if washing and sterilizing are two separate stages and that the washing stage, which contributes to the sterilization, is being circumvented. This story could have been written more clearly.
> 
> So hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV are heat-resistant?


 
Hepatitis B and C are extremely resiliant. They can survive an autoclave, if it is not run at sufficent time and temperature. HIV, on the other hand, is probably one of the most easily killed viruses, at least outside the body. It will die if you look at it crosseyed with a bar of soap in your hands.


----------

