SALEM — Nearly 450 patients at Salem Hospital might have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis infections, the hospital announced Wednesday.
In a statement, Salem Hospital, which is owned by Mass General Brigham, said that potential exposures occurred during a period of roughly two years. All patients affected have been contacted, the hospital has consulted officials from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and the risk of infection is “extremely small,” the statement added.
“Earlier this year, Salem Hospital was made aware of an isolated practice involving a small portion of endoscopy patients who were potentially exposed to infection due to the administration of their intravenous medication in a manner not consistent with our best practice,” the statement read. “Once identified, the practice was immediately corrected, and the hospital’s quality and infection control teams were notified.”
Salem Hospital External Communications Director Adam Bagni said in a statement that the hospital is testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, all of which are standard tests for these types of exposures.
“I would emphasize that there is an extremely small risk and no evidence to date of any infections as a result. And if patients have not been notified, they don’t need to be concerned. All those potentially impacted have been notified,” Bagni said.
Currently, there is no evidence of any infections and free screening is being provided for those who might have been exposed, in addition to a clinician-staffed hotline for any questions.
“The safety of our patients is our highest priority and we have undertaken multiple corrective actions in response to this event,” the hospital said in the statement. “We sincerely apologize to those who have been impacted and we remain committed to delivering high-quality, compassionate health care to our community.”
