Alta. hospital patients test positive for Hep B, C

December 3, 2007

The Canadian Press

VEGREVILLE, Alta. -- Some former patients of an Alberta hospital that was cited

for improperly sterilizing medical equipment have tested positive for Hepatitis

B and C, health region officials announced Tuesday.

However, Dr. Gerhard Benade stressed it is not yet known whether the infections

are linked to the sterilization scandal that rocked St. ph's Hospital in

Vegreville.

" If you test people in the general population, you will find positive results, "

Benade said. " The numbers we have found so far are much lower than what you

would expect in the general population. "

Benade declined to say how many people have tested positive, explaining that

each case is being reviewed by an independent specialist in Edmonton.

" There are a large number of risk factors which may contribute to people

becoming positive or having been exposed to things, " he said.

" We need to finish the process. "

Benade said a final report on the investigation's findings will be submitted to

the provincial government in February or March.

The hospital was closed to new patients last March after an outbreak of a

super-bug.

Since then, 1,850 former patients out of 2,872 have come forward for testing,

with many declining to be tested.

Benade said 98 per cent of patients affected have been contacted, but there are

still some who haven't yet been tracked down.

" This is an enormous project. People are mobile and we have to track them down

across the province, across Canada, and a significant amount of people out of

country. "

Health Minister Dave Hancock promised quick action last summer after the release

of a government review on infection control following the Vegreville situation.

Hancock said the review looked at infection prevention policies in all the

province's health regions and didn't find any threats to patient safety.

A separate review by the Health Quality Council of Alberta found it was unclear

who ran the facility, and the result was confusion, testy relations and a

culture that did not view patient safety as job one.

tients

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