CONCORD, N.H. — Hospitals opposite a nation endorsed hepatitis C contrast for about 7,900 patients final summer after a roving medical workman was indicted of hidden drugs and infecting patients with sinister syringes in New Hampshire. But 5 months later, scarcely half of those who were presumably unprotected to a liver-destroying illness in other states have nonetheless to be tested.
Described by prosecutors as a “serial infector,” David Kwiatkowski is indicted of hidden syringes of a absolute painkiller fentanyl from a cardiac catheterization lab during New Hampshire’s Exeter Hospital and replacing them with saline-filled syringes sinister with his possess blood. In jail given his detain in July, he pleaded not guilty to 14 sovereign drug charges progressing this month and is approaching to go to hearing subsequent fall.
Before Apr 2001, when he was hired in New Hampshire, Kwiatkowski worked as a roving cardiac technologist in 18 hospitals in 7 states, relocating from pursuit to pursuit – notwithstanding being dismissed twice over allegations of drug use and theft.
Thirty-two people in New Hampshire have been diagnosed with a same aria of hepatitis C that Kwiatkowski carries, along with 6 in Kansas, 5 in Maryland and one in Pennsylvania. At slightest 3,700 people outward New Hampshire have nonetheless to be tested, hospitals and open health officials told The Associated Press.
For example, in Michigan, where Kwiatkowski grew adult and started his career, about 2,300 patients during 5 hospitals were told that they might have been unprotected to hepatitis C by Kwiatkowski. As of early December, usually about 500 had left in for testing, zero of whom were diagnosed with a aria related to a New Hampshire outbreak, according to a Michigan Department of Community Health.
In Pennsylvania, 2,280 patients during a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian were told that they should get tested, yet usually 840 have, one of whom was diagnosed with a relating aria of hepatitis C.
Kwiatkowski was dismissed a few weeks into his proxy pursuit during UPMC in 2008 after a co-worker indicted him of swiping a fentanyl syringe from an handling room and adhering it down his pants. Citing a miss of evidence, sanatorium authorities didn’t call police, and conjunction a sanatorium nor a medical staffing organisation that placed him in a pursuit sensitive a inhabitant accreditation classification for radiological technicians. Within days, Kwiatkowski was starting a new pursuit during a Baltimore VA Medical Center, where one studious also has given been diagnosed with hepatitis C related to Kwiatkowski.
Though a VA core primarily pronounced it had identified 168 patients who might have been exposed, that series was after lowered, and 68 patients eventually were tested. Two other Maryland hospitals where Kwiatkowski worked also have finished their testing, with no diagnosed cases of hepatitis C relating Kwiatkowski. But during a fourth, The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, 4 patients have been diagnosed with a aria of illness related to Kwiatkowski.
About 500 of a 1,567 patients told by Johns Hopkins have nonetheless to be tested, according to sanatorium mouthpiece Kim Hoppe. Kwiatkowski had been referred by a staffing organisation that positive Johns Hopkins that it had followed a powerful vetting process, Hoppe said. He worked there for dual 13-week stints, from Jul 2009 to Jan 2010.
Saint Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., where Kwiatkowski worked in late 2007 and early 2008, told and tested 31 patients yet anticipating any related cases to Kwiatkowski. In Kansas, scarcely all of a 416 patients who might have been unprotected during Hays Medical Center have been tested and 6 have been diagnosed with infections related to a New Hampshire outbreak.
There have been no cases related to Kwiatkowski in Arizona, where about 300 patients from dual hospitals have been asked to get tested and about 280 have finished so. Kwiatkowski worked during Maryvale Hospital in Phoenix in 2009 and a Arizona Heart Hospital in 2010. He was dismissed from a latter pursuit after 10 days after a co-worker found him upheld out in a lavatory box with a stolen fentanyl syringe floating in a toilet.
That occurrence was reported to police, Kwiatkowski’s staffing agency, a state regulatory house and a inhabitant accreditation organization, yet a accreditation organisation forsaken a exploration after training military hadn’t filed charges.
Days later, Kwiatkowski landed a new pursuit stuffing in for distinguished technicians during Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. That sanatorium has endorsed contrast for 312 patients yet won’t contend how many have followed by or have been diagnosed with hepatitis C. A sanatorium orator referred questions to a city health department, that did not lapse calls.
Testing also is still underneath approach in a final place Kwiatkowski worked before streamer to New Hampshire – Houston Medical Center in Warner Robins, Ga. According to a hospital, fewer than 100 people have nonetheless to be tested, and there haven’t been any cases nonetheless related to Kwiatkowski.
In New Hampshire, where about 3,300 patients were tested, Kwiatkowski is charged with 7 depends of illegally receiving drugs and 7 depends of tampering with a consumer product, yet prosecutors have pronounced serve charges are possible. Although New Hampshire can’t assign him for probable violations in other states, it can use justification collected in those jurisdictions in a trial, U.S. Attorney John Kacavas said. Other states are watchful to see a outcome of New Hampshire’s box before determining either to record charges, he said.
“We continue to strech out to other states influenced by this matter,” Kacavas pronounced this week. “Other health organizations and departments continue to do their work in their states, yet zero has altered in a clarity that a charge will go forward. At this point, we are a usually charge in a country, and we’ll see how it rolls out.”
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