Hepatitis C outbreak at holistic clinic blamed on syringes

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Hepatitis C outbreak at holistic clinic blamed on syringes

By and Lehman, Times staff writers

In Print: Saturday, March 20, 2010

BRANDON — A hepatitis C outbreak at a holistic medical clinic in was

likely caused by the reuse of syringes on patients undergoing intravenous

therapies, a state health official said Friday.

Eight patients of Wellness Works, at 1209 Lakeside Drive, tested positive last

year for hepatitis C, a contagious liver disease that can last from a few weeks

to a lifetime and can cause serious damage.

on, a regional epidemiologist with the state Department of Health,

said one of the eight patients likely had the disease before coming to the

clinic. " That is a likely scenario, but we can't prove it, " he said.

Dr. Carol , director of the clinic, said the eight patients were

undergoing chelation therapy to remove what she described as toxic metals from

their bodies.

Chelation, which uses IV medications to grab heavy metals and minerals out of

the blood and remove them from the body, is approved by the FDA only for lead

poisoning and heavy-metal toxicity. The use of it by some practitioners for

conditions like autism and heart disease has drawn controversy to the practice.

says the clinic never reused syringes, and that the outbreak was caused

by a nurse who probably contaminated vials of saline used during therapies. The

registered nurse, who would not name, was fired in December after

working at the clinic for about a year.

" That's sloppy, " said. " It was a one-time thing. "

But on said the state, in talking to staff and patients at the clinic,

found inappropriate use of syringes by the nurse.

He said the state recommended, and the clinic implemented, corrective actions

since its investigation began last July. That included hiring new staff,

ensuring that syringes do not get reused, switching from multi-dose to

single-dose vials and creating a separate area to prepare medications.

said four or five of the infected patients are still visiting the clinic

and seem to be doing well. The others are no longer patients at the clinic, and

said she doesn't know how they're doing.

Wellness Works contacted the local health department in July, after a couple of

patients were found to have hepatitis symptoms, said. Testing confirmed

they had hepatitis C.

The state's investigation involved reviewing the clinic's infection control

procedures and having the clinic identify and contact other patients who might

be at risk. said the clinic tested 175 patients who had received IV

treatments from the nurse during her year of employment. Eight people in all

were positive for hepatitis C. All clinic employees tested negative, she added.

said the nurse wasn't fired until December, when they determined what

happened.

" It was a bad day, a very unfortunate incident, and we are definitely taking the

consequences, " said.

The state health department took the added step last month of sending a letter

to all of the clinic's current and former patients, which provided information

about hepatitis C. It noted that most infected people have no symptoms at first,

but that many go on to develop chronic liver disease, which can range from mild

to severe. It added that the virus can be spread in health care settings when

injection equipment, such as syringes, is shared between patients or when

injectable medications or IV solutions are mishandled and become contaminated

with blood.

The letter also addressed the investigation.

" The health department has concluded that transmission of hepatitis C did take

place in the Wellness Works clinic due to a failure to follow standard

procedures when preparing and administering intravenous therapy, " the letter

stated.

The letter strongly encouraged anyone who received IV therapy at the clinic and

has not yet been tested to get tested as soon as possible.

can be reached at rmartin@... or (727) 893-8330.