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July 24. 2012 11:36PM
One mom's worry turns to dread over hepatitis C
EXETER — Brenda Silva has been concerned about the hepatitis C outbreak at Exeter Hospital ever since she first heard the news.
The Fremont mother’s 11-year-old son had surgery in December 2011 to place a pin in his wrist after he suffered broken bones. But because he never visited the hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab — the area where the employee suspected of spreading the virus worked — Silva tried not to worry too much.
“I have been concerned since the first report of the outbreak, but they kept saying it was just the cath lab,” she said. “I figured if they didn’t send us a letter, the kids would be OK.”
Everything changed Tuesday when state public health officials announced that an estimated 6,000 patients treated in the hospital’s operating rooms — excluding its outpatient surgery center — and intensive care unit between April 1, 2011, and May 25, 2012, should be tested for possible exposure to the hepatitis C virus.
“As parents we do everything we can think of to keep our kids safe and healthy and one selfish jerk might have taken all that away from me and our lives might change forever from this point forward,” Silva said of former medical technician David Kwiatkowski.
Hospital statement
The hospital said there’s an “extremely small chance” that more victims will be found outside its cardiac catheterization lab, but it supports the state’s decision to expand testing beginning this weekend with public tests planned at Exeter High School.
“As health care providers, our focus is first and foremost on our patients’ care and safety. We would rather that thousands of our patients be tested by the state even if they all turn up negative than to miss one patient who might have been infected by this alleged criminal,” Nancy Braese, president of the Exeter Hospital medical staff, said in a prepared statement.
Kwiatkowski, 32, who worked in the hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab, was charged last week in connection with the outbreak that infected at least 30 Exeter patients. He is accused of using syringes filled with the painkiller Fentanyl and then returning them to be used on patients.
The operating rooms and ICU are areas that Kwiatkowski visited occasionally as part of his routine duties to transport patients, but he was not involved with procedures or patient care, the hospital said.
“Although we agree with the state that it is unlikely the additional testing in these two hospital areas will result in any new linked cases of hepatitis C, Exeter Hospital recognizes the inconvenience, anxiety and concern raised by this expansion of testing ...” the hospital said.
Words of criticism
The hospital also criticized other hospitals around the country where Kwiatkowski worked as a traveling medical technician before he arrived in Exeter for failing to stop him.
FBI investigators learned last week that Kwiatkowski was allegedly involved in a drug diversion incident while working as a contract employee at a hospital in another state in 2008.
“Although our identification and speedy reporting of this threat to the appropriate state officials led to the arrest of Kwiatkowski, we are saddened that those who reportedly discovered Kwiatkowski’s alleged drug diversion activities at other hospitals apparently failed to report them to law enforcement officials,” Exeter Hospital said in a statement.
Jason Schreiber may be reached at jschreiber@newstote.com.
The Fremont mother’s 11-year-old son had surgery in December 2011 to place a pin in his wrist after he suffered broken bones. But because he never visited the hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab — the area where the employee suspected of spreading the virus worked — Silva tried not to worry too much.
“I have been concerned since the first report of the outbreak, but they kept saying it was just the cath lab,” she said. “I figured if they didn’t send us a letter, the kids would be OK.”
Everything changed Tuesday when state public health officials announced that an estimated 6,000 patients treated in the hospital’s operating rooms — excluding its outpatient surgery center — and intensive care unit between April 1, 2011, and May 25, 2012, should be tested for possible exposure to the hepatitis C virus.
“As parents we do everything we can think of to keep our kids safe and healthy and one selfish jerk might have taken all that away from me and our lives might change forever from this point forward,” Silva said of former medical technician David Kwiatkowski.
Hospital statement
The hospital said there’s an “extremely small chance” that more victims will be found outside its cardiac catheterization lab, but it supports the state’s decision to expand testing beginning this weekend with public tests planned at Exeter High School.
“As health care providers, our focus is first and foremost on our patients’ care and safety. We would rather that thousands of our patients be tested by the state even if they all turn up negative than to miss one patient who might have been infected by this alleged criminal,” Nancy Braese, president of the Exeter Hospital medical staff, said in a prepared statement.
Kwiatkowski, 32, who worked in the hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab, was charged last week in connection with the outbreak that infected at least 30 Exeter patients. He is accused of using syringes filled with the painkiller Fentanyl and then returning them to be used on patients.
The operating rooms and ICU are areas that Kwiatkowski visited occasionally as part of his routine duties to transport patients, but he was not involved with procedures or patient care, the hospital said.
“Although we agree with the state that it is unlikely the additional testing in these two hospital areas will result in any new linked cases of hepatitis C, Exeter Hospital recognizes the inconvenience, anxiety and concern raised by this expansion of testing ...” the hospital said.
Words of criticism
The hospital also criticized other hospitals around the country where Kwiatkowski worked as a traveling medical technician before he arrived in Exeter for failing to stop him.
FBI investigators learned last week that Kwiatkowski was allegedly involved in a drug diversion incident while working as a contract employee at a hospital in another state in 2008.
“Although our identification and speedy reporting of this threat to the appropriate state officials led to the arrest of Kwiatkowski, we are saddened that those who reportedly discovered Kwiatkowski’s alleged drug diversion activities at other hospitals apparently failed to report them to law enforcement officials,” Exeter Hospital said in a statement.
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Jason Schreiber may be reached at jschreiber@newstote.com.
