Amazing this happens in this day and age

[OMFSPrime]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37136268/ns/health-more_health_news/

Responsibility? Intelligence? Ethics?

It can happen to anyone, but this is ridiculous. Multiple exposure to same testing needle using a blood sugar monitor.

Excerpt below:

Students from UNM's physician assistant program conducted the free blood sugar tests during the cultural center's American Indian Week Pueblo Days. The center's visitor list for that Saturday included more than 1,600 people from across the nation and abroad — including Canada, Italy, Sweden and Germany. Tazbah McCullah, a spokeswoman for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, pointed to the high rate of diabetes among American Indians, saying the students had in their minds that they were trying to help.
McCullah said the center learned about the testing mistakes May 10 and has joined UNM in trying to inform people about the incident. Notices have been sent to tribal officials, the Indian Health Service, tourism organizations and others.
"We have visitors locally and from all over the world that come here, so that's why we felt it was important to get this out far and wide," she said.
Giammo said the devices should not have been used at the public event and not all of the students were properly trained to use them. Because test results were immediate, students didn't keep records on participants.
The devices, similar to home glucose testers, contain six lancets — or needles — that can be triggered to draw a blood sample. With each use, the device must be advanced manually to load a new lancet.
While some volunteers were safely and properly tested, officials said some failed to change the lancets, resulting in potential exposure to other's blood.

Title says Med Students, but body of article says Physician Assistant Students.

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[280040]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37136268/ns/health-more_health_news/

Responsibility? Intelligence? Ethics?

It can happen to anyone, but this is ridiculous. Multiple exposure to same testing needle using a blood sugar monitor.

Excerpt below:

Students from UNM's physician assistant program conducted the free blood sugar tests during the cultural center's American Indian Week Pueblo Days. The center's visitor list for that Saturday included more than 1,600 people from across the nation and abroad — including Canada, Italy, Sweden and Germany. Tazbah McCullah, a spokeswoman for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, pointed to the high rate of diabetes among American Indians, saying the students had in their minds that they were trying to help.
McCullah said the center learned about the testing mistakes May 10 and has joined UNM in trying to inform people about the incident. Notices have been sent to tribal officials, the Indian Health Service, tourism organizations and others.
"We have visitors locally and from all over the world that come here, so that's why we felt it was important to get this out far and wide," she said.
Giammo said the devices should not have been used at the public event and not all of the students were properly trained to use them. Because test results were immediate, students didn't keep records on participants.
The devices, similar to home glucose testers, contain six lancets — or needles — that can be triggered to draw a blood sample. With each use, the device must be advanced manually to load a new lancet.
While some volunteers were safely and properly tested, officials said some failed to change the lancets, resulting in potential exposure to other's blood.

Title says Med Students, but body of article says Physician Assistant Students.

The only thing good about this is lancets aren't hollow tip. We were taught in micro this is a big deal compared to a needle used to draw blood in the chance for disease transmission.

You must have never worked in a volunteer clinic before haha. It's like people forget everything they know about common sense.... It makes me cringe with what I used to volunteer doing...

 

[OMFSPrime]

I have worked in volunteer clinics all over, even in other countries...I have seen some horror stories, but never exposing others to blood. I have seen dental chairs unchanged, mouth mirrors re-used by mistake, I have seen gloves rinsed with alcohol and left on a window to dry and be reused from simple exams. But never repeated exposure to the same needle.

The hollow tip comment is a good point, I guess I did not think of that...but still.

The rule is: When in doubt, change it out.

And when done, clean up after yourself, always.

It just made me angry that so many innocent people could have their lives changed for the worse with one simple thing that was overlooked...repeatedly.

Think about it. If you get Hep-C, Hep-B/D, and need a transplant? Dead in the water, can't make the list.