An Asheville hospital is urging 10 patients to be tested for potentially serious viral infections following word that a scope was not properly sterilized in the endoscopy unit.
The Asheville Citizen-Times reported (http://avlne.ws/JstGui ) that Mission Hospital issued the alert after the situation was reported by a staff member in late January.
Mission President Jill Hoggard Green said the worker noticed a dark substance on a scope, indicating that the scope had not been properly cleaned. Hoggard Green said there was a special chamber that the technician was not aware of. She said that technician was re-trained. It is not known what the substance was,
Hoggard Green said Mission isn't aware of any complications for the patients to this point. The hospital is covering the cost of the tests.
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