Potential HIV and Hepatitis Exposure at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Patients who received endoscopy care at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) may have been exposed to HIV and Hepatitis B and C, according to the Davidson County Health Department.
What Happened?
The Davidson County Health Department received reports of “inappropriate practice” at VUMC, leading to the potential transmission of these bloodborne pathogens.
“We investigate every positive case of HIV and Hepatitis in Davidson County, working to find where that person might have contracted the infection and who they might have exposed since being infected,” said Matthew Peters, a spokesperson for the Davidson County Health Department. “We use this information to determine who else might be at risk of infection and need(s) to be tested. Since being informed of the potential exposure at VUMC, we have added a question into our investigations about whether VUMC could be a potential source of exposure. So far, none of the positive cases we have investigated have been linked to that potential exposure.”
VUMC Response
VUMC spokesperson John Howser confirmed that the hospital is notifying patients potentially affected by the exposure.
“We recently discovered an issue in how a solution was administered through endoscope during a limited number of endoscopy procedures in the gastroenterology lab at Vanderbilt Clinic. We immediately corrected the issue in the lab and reported it to the Tennessee Department of Health. We are in the process of notifying patients, and have connected with nearly all by now who had an endoscopy procedure in this lab and may have been affected,” the hospital stated.
The hospital says less than 4% of endoscopy patients over the past six months may have been impacted. The exact number of patients potentially exposed has not been released.
What to Do
If you have received an endoscopy at VUMC within the past six months, please contact the hospital immediately for information about potential exposure and testing options.
Stay informed about this developing situation by checking reputable news sources and the official websites of VUMC and the Davidson County Health Department.