Jul 2, 2009 8:36 pm US/Mountain
Hep C-Infected Hospital Worker A Risk To Patients
DENVER (CBS4) ―
A scrub tech at Rose Medical Center is accused of switching narcotic-filled syringes in operating rooms with dirty saline-filled syringes. Hundreds of patients may be at risk for exposure to Hepatitis C.
Kristen Parker is in federal custody. The U.S. Attorney's Office said she stole syringes filled with Fetanyl, a narcotic, and then replaced them with dirty syringes.
Parker has Hepatitis C. The arrest affidavit claims 5,000 patients may be at risk for exposure to the virus, however Rose Medical Center representatives claim the actual number of exposed patients is far less.
Nine patients who underwent surgery at Rose Medical Center have learned they were infected with Hepatitis C during an operation. Another 1,000 patients at the Audubon Surgery Center in Colorado Springs also may be at risk.
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