Patient In HIV Scare After Hospital Equipment Error

An investigation has been launched after surgical equipment was accidentally re-used at a hospital. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is conducting the investigation after equipment used in the mouth of one patient was kept and used to treat an infected wound in the mouth of another.

Edward Dickson, the victim of the mistake, had to undergo a series of tests and take drugs which help counter HIV because details of the medical history of the first patient were unknown.

Mr Dickson, 46, from Springburn in Glasgow, told The Herald he could not sleep because he was so worried about the possible transmission of infection. He said: “When they first told me, I could have collapsed. It was really frustrating. It put me under a lot of stress.”

The problem arose on Wednesday, March 28, when Mr Dickson was referred to the regional maxillofacial unit at the Southern General Hospital in the city with an infection to a wound inside his lip.

After the area was investigated and treated, Mr Dickson said a specialist came to see him and broke the news.

Mr Dickson said: “When they usually do an operation like that, their instruments are in a sealed box and for every patient that is operated on there is a new box. But that one (they used on me) wasn’t new. That one was already opened.”

It is understood the same syringe barrel for delivering local anaesthetic was used on both patients.

A team of experts was consulted after the mistake and, although they calculated the risk of having passed on an infection was low, it was decided Mr Dickson should start taking anti-retroviral treatment.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has apologised for the breakdown in the infection control regime.

The health board said it had traced the first patient, a West African man. He has been screened for a number of infections and the board said that the results of all the tests were negative.

In a statement the board said: “We can confirm that oral surgical equipment used to treat a patient was inadvertently used on a second patient at the Southern General Hospital. An investigation is under way to identify why our rigorous infection control procedures failed on this isolated occasion.

“We are extremely sorry for this breach in our protocols. We can now confirm that no further treatments are required and we have informed the patient of this.”

Mr Dickson said: “The consultant is saying it will never happen again. I hope it doesn’t happen to anyone else for what it has put me through.”

Professor Hugh Pennington, a leading microbiologist, said clear rules should be in place in hospitals regarding the re-use of instruments.

He said: “Basically we have disposable syringes and disposable needles and we do not even contemplate using one on a second patient.”

He continued: “Staff should be trained so they do not fall into any kind of trap just because it is more convenient.”

Concerns have been raised about the sterilisation of hospital instruments between procedures in recent years. Last winter, Dr Harry Burns, Scotland’s chief medical officer, issued an urgent safety warning after an official investigation revealed failings in the way that flexible endoscopes, which are used in common internal examinations, were sterilised after use.

In 2003, it emerged a West Lothian GP had mixed up sterilised and unsterilised equipment for carrying out cervical smear tests. Up to 100 women were said to have been put at risk of contract- ing HIV and hepatitis by the mistake.