Infection Scare in Fort Lauderdale, More Than 1800 at Risk

Fort Lauderdale, FLJust weeks before the Thanksgiving weekend upwards of 1800 patients of a

hospital in Fort Lauderdale will be contemplating just what they have to be thankful for after potential exposure to HIV and hepatitis at the hands of a former nurse employed there.

CNN reported yesterday that a nurse identified by police as Qui Lan of Fort Lauderdale, resigned from her post at Broward General Medical Center after she was allegedly seen to have used the same saline bag and a portion of tubing on different patients during adult cardiac chemical stress tests.

Such equipment is designed to be used only once in an effort to avoid the mixing of bodily fluids to help stem the spread of infection. In a statement the hospital indicated that a review of the nurse was conducted when administering intravenous fluids during cardiac stress tests. The nurse was suspended pending the outcome of a complete investigation. She subsequently resigned.

Police were tipped off by an anonymous caller from the hospital, who told them of witnessing the indiscretion and breach of medical protocol. Police tell CNN that so far the woman is not a suspect and there is as yet no crime.

The nurse at the center of the controversy had been employed at the hospital since January 2004. She had no response as to why she had breached sound medical practice when questioned by the hospital.

A spokesperson for Broward stressed that the situation was addressed as soon as it was discovered. The hospital has also determined that a potential 1,851 patients could have been exposed to infectious diseases through the mixture of bodily fluids during the tests.

All patients affected are being urged to be tested for hepatitis B and C, as well as HIV.

As of Tuesday of this week the hospital had fielded calls from more than 600 patients and had consulted 30 people inside the hospital itself. "It's prudent for our hospital to go into an investigation and notify every patient," said Cathy Meyer, a spokesperson for the hospital. "We took a conservative approach."

The police meanwhile have sealed the incident report and as of yesterday had not yet interviewed the nurse.

Chemical stress tests are used for patients who are unable to undertake the rigors of a conventional stress test. Chemicals are injected into the body and fed to the heart to increase the heart rate chemically.

Prior indiscretions at other facilities during various procedures, including endoscopy, have resulted in lawsuits on the part of patients who have been infected in this way, or living with the fear of a potential infection.