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Friday, February 06, 2009
Army: Insulin Error at El Paso Hospital Put 2,100 Patients at Risk
Associated Press
EL PASO — More than 2,100 diabetic patients treated at William Beaumont Army Medical Center could be at risk for hepatitis or HIV because of potentially flawed insulin injections, Army officials said Thursday.
Last week's discovery that injection pens might have been used on multiple diabetics led to an Army-wide review and the El Paso medical center contacting patients who may be infected, William Beaumont spokesman Clarence Davis III said.
The warning covers WBMAC patients who received insulin injections between August 2007 and January 2009. The mistake was uncovered Jan. 30 following 18 months of potentially incorrect use.
None of the 2,114 patients identified had been screened for blood-borne diseases by late Thursday. WBMAC said the staff believes the risk of infection is low.
"There is an ongoing investigation," Davis said.
WBMAC said each needle used was new and sterilized. But the pen portion of the multi-dose injectors, which are designed for repeated use on a single patient, may have instead been used on more than one person.
Following the discovery at WBMAC, an Army-wide review found the same pen model was used in nine facilities. Officials said it may have also been used incorrectly at Fort Polk's Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital in Louisiana, where 15 or fewer diabetic patients were potentially affected. All have been contacted, Fort Polk spokeswoman Kathy Port said.
The review found the other facilities used the pen correctly.
WBMAC provides medical care for soldiers, retirees and their families.
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