Contaminated Surgical Tools Pose Health Hazards

Contaminated surgical instruments are being regularly found in hospitals and outpatient surgery centers, new reports have found.

According to iWatch News, a number of instances have occurred where patients have contracted illnesses through unsanitary medical implements throughout the U.S. The Department of Veterans Affairs reported that 10,737 veterans were given colonoscopies or endoscopies from 2002 to 2009 with tools that may not have been properly sterilized. Some of the veterans contracted hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV from the contaminated medical instruments. Several complaints have been filed as a result.

While critics say poor manufacturing of the devices can hinder the cleaning process, experts say there are many more reasons behind this health hazard. Others blame these types of occurrences on inadequate device testing by manufacturers and the pressure hospital employees may to clean the devices quickly. Since bacteria can hide anywhere from a nurse’s dirty scrubs to a doctor’ unwashed hands, it is difficult to know how often unclean medical tools are at fault.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by medical malpractice due to unsafe medical instruments, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to learn about your options. Call us today at (800)-561-7154.

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