1,812 Veterans Possibly Infected by VA Hospital

Posted on 01. Jul, 2010 in News Stories

John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis just sent out letters to 1,812 patients, informing them that they may have been infected with HIV or hepatitis. This is because they could have been exposed to contaminated dental instruments.

For more than a year, the hospital failed to follow proper cleaning procedures. According to protocol, the dental instruments were supposed to only be cleaned by special cleaning machines. In an attempt to protect the delicate instruments, dental technicians instead hand-washed them with soap and water before having the machines clean them.

The hospital has set up a special clinic and hotline to deal with potentially infected patients.

Read more at: CNN.