Surgical Tools 'Washed' in Hydraulic Fluid
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RALEIGH, N.C., June 12 (AP) - About 3,800 patients at two hospitals run by Duke University Health System were operated on last November and December with instruments that were washed in hydraulic fluid instead of detergent, hospital regulators said.
Duke Health Raleigh Hospital and Durham Regional Hospital did not detect the problem for weeks, despite complaints from staff members about slick tools, putting patients in "immediate jeopardy," according to a report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The mix-up apparently occurred last summer, when an elevator company drained hydraulic fluid into empty detergent barrels and the detergent supplier mistakenly redistributed them.
Duke Health officials told patients in January that the likelihood of infection from the tools was no greater than the risk from surgery.
However, dozens of patients have reported lingering health concerns ranging from fatigue and joint pain to problems requiring hospitalization, The News and Observer of Raleigh reported Sunday.
Two lawsuits have been filed against the elevator company and the detergent supplier.
Duke Health officials declined to comment further, citing possible lawsuits.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RALEIGH, N.C., June 12 (AP) - About 3,800 patients at two hospitals run by Duke University Health System were operated on last November and December with instruments that were washed in hydraulic fluid instead of detergent, hospital regulators said.
Duke Health Raleigh Hospital and Durham Regional Hospital did not detect the problem for weeks, despite complaints from staff members about slick tools, putting patients in "immediate jeopardy," according to a report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The mix-up apparently occurred last summer, when an elevator company drained hydraulic fluid into empty detergent barrels and the detergent supplier mistakenly redistributed them.
Duke Health officials told patients in January that the likelihood of infection from the tools was no greater than the risk from surgery.
However, dozens of patients have reported lingering health concerns ranging from fatigue and joint pain to problems requiring hospitalization, The News and Observer of Raleigh reported Sunday.
Two lawsuits have been filed against the elevator company and the detergent supplier.
Duke Health officials declined to comment further, citing possible lawsuits.
