Yourlawyer.com (Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas News)

Las Vegas Clinics Tied to More Hep C Cases

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Brian Labus, Southern Nevada Health District’s senior epidemiologist announced that investigators think they have identified nearly everyone who may have contracted hepatitis C at two Las Vegas outpatient medical clinics, according to a recent Associated Press (AP) report. “In putting everything together, we’ve identified 114 cases, in total, linked to the two clinics,” he said.

Hepatitis C is a typically asymptomatic, incurable blood disorder transmitted through blood-to-blood contact; often leads to chronic, long-term infection resulting in approximately 70% of those infected developing liver disease; is a risk factor for liver cancer; and can lead to liver transplantation. Hepatitis C can cause swelling of the liver, stomach pain, fatigue, and jaundice and, even with no symptoms, can slowly damage the liver, the AP points out.

“We still have some analysis to do,” Labus noted of the total, which represents an increase from the 86 reported in July, “but we don’t expect the numbers to change much.” The AP reports that district officials say nine cases are the result of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada’s and the Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center’s shoddy infection control practices. The other 105 people diagnosed with hepatitis C since becoming patients at the clinics could have contracted the disease in other ways, Labus said. Health officials say those diagnosed are undergoing treatment.

Both clinics, which were affiliated with Dr. Dipak Desai—a prominent Nevada gastroenterologist who headed several endoscopy clinics in the Las Vegas area—have since been closed. Desai surrendered his license to practice medicine during health district and police investigations. Meanwhile, he and other former clinic owners face over 120 lawsuits alleging medical negligence, as well as a separate class-action suit initiated by patients who did not fall ill but are claiming emotional distress.

The virus likely spread when clinic staff reused syringes, using a single dose of anesthesia medication on multiple patients, the district said. Contamination would occur with the backflow of blood when patients with a blood-borne disease were injected with medication; that syringe, in turn, would be reused to withdraw medication from a different vial, contaminating that vial and resulting in infection. The Southern Nevada Health District said that the unsafe practices had been in place for several years.

The AP reports that Labus said about 50,000 former Endoscopy Center patients and 13,000 former Desert Shadow Center patients were notified to receive testing for hepatitis B, C, and HIV. To date, there have been no links between the outbreak and any hepatitis B or HIV cases. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS, and is transmitted through the exchange of bodily fluids, including blood-to-blood contact. Meanwhile, 7,331 people provided the agency with medical information. Labus is planning to distribute a final report to district administrators by January 2, the one-year anniversary of the when the massive outbreak was first discovered.

The widow of one of the clinic’s former patients filed a lawsuit alleging that her 60-year-old husband’s death and hepatitis C diagnosis were related to the clinic’s shoddy medical practices. The man died in 2006. The health district maintains that there have been no deaths linked to the outbreak, said the AP.

77 More Hepatitis C Victims Tied to Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Seventy seven more former patients of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada have tested positive for hepatitis C, and their illnesses are likely the result of the unsanitary methods employed by the now-closed clinic. The 77 cases of hepatitis C combined with those confirmed earlier bring the number of cases linked to clinics run by the same group of doctors to 85.

In February, the Southern Nevada Health District sent letters to 40,000 people treated at the clinic, advising them to get tested for hepatitis B and C, and HIV. The Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada has been under investigation since early January, after health officials learned of three people who had been diagnosed with hepatitis C after being treated there. Ultimately, the Southern Nevada Health District said a total of six people were known to have contracted hepatitis C after being treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. Five of them were treated the same day in late September; the sixth is believed to have been infected in July, the district said. The Southern Nevada Health District investigation revealed that “unsafe injection practices related to the administration of anesthesia medication might have exposed patients to the blood of other patients.” In March, a seventh hepatitis C victim, who had been treated at a clinic owned by the same group that owns the Endoscopy Center, was identified.

The hepatitis C virus may have been spread when clinic staff reused syringes and used a single dose of anesthesia medication on multiple patients, the district said. A syringe would become contaminated by the backflow of blood when patients with a blood-borne disease were injected with medication, health officials said. That syringe, in turn, would be reused to withdraw medication from a different vial. That vial could become contaminated and result in infection. The Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada also regularly performed 2-minute surgeries and reused other disposable devices.

The 77 people are among about 400 former patients of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada who tested positive for the potentially deadly virus since the outbreak was made public Feb. 27, and who provided no other risk factors during follow-up interviews. Authorities can't say for sure how the 77 people were infected, but they know each was treated from March 2004 to Jan. 11 this year at the clinic. None of the 77 had tested positive for hepatitis C prior to their treatment at the clinic.

Officials determined the more than 300 other patients who also tested positive and were interviewed could have contracted the virus through other means, including intravenous drug use, blood transfusions, organ transplants or kidney dialysis, receiving blood clotting agents before 1987, or sexual contact with a person with hepatitis C. Health officials in Nevada still have to conduct interviews with dozens of other hepatitis C victims to determine if their infections could have originated at the Endoscopy Center.

The Endoscopy Center was owned by doctors Dipak Desai and Eladio Carrera, whose Nevada medical licenses have been suspended pending state Board of Medical Examiners hearings. The Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada is the subject of a criminal probe being conducted by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI, the Nevada Attorney General's office and the Clark County district attorney.

Doc at Center of Nevada Hepatitis C Outbreak Barred from Practicing Medicine

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The doctor implicated in the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada hepatitis C outbreak won't be able to practice medicine again - at least until a10-count state Board of Medical Examiners complaint against him is resolved. Dr. Dipak Desai is the owner of the Endoscopy Center, where unsanitary practices exposed thousands of patients to blood born disease. Desai also runs several other Nevada clinics. Yesterday, Clark County District Judge David Wall issued a temporary restraining order against Desai, forbidding him from practicing medicine for the time being.

In February, the Southern Nevada Health District sent letters to 40,000 people treated at the clinic, advising them to get tested for hepatitis B and C, and HIV. The Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada has been under investigation since early January, after health officials learned of three people who had been diagnosed with hepatitis C after being treated there.

Ultimately, the Southern Nevada Health District said a total of six people were known to have contracted hepatitis C after being treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. Five of them were treated the same day in late September; the sixth is believed to have been infected in July, the district said. The Southern Nevada Health District investigation revealed that “unsafe injection practices related to the administration of anesthesia medication might have exposed patients to the blood of other patients.” In February, the Southern Nevada Health District sent letters to 40,000 people treated at the clinic, advising them to get tested for hepatitis B and C, and HIV.

The hepatitis C virus may have been spread when clinic staff reused syringes and used a single dose of anesthesia medication on multiple patients, the district said. A syringe would become contaminated by the backflow of blood when patients with a blood-borne disease were injected with medication, health officials said. That syringe, in turn, would be reused to withdraw medication from a different vial. That vial could become contaminated and result in infection.

The subsequent investigation of the clinic revealed even more substandard practices. Several staff members told investigators that biopsy equipment labeled for single use was reused for multiple patients after disinfection. Others reported that they were directed to reuse bite blocks - devices put in patients’ mouths for some procedures - on multiple patients.

Desai now faces a 10-count complaint against him, and on Monday, state Attorney General Catherine Cortez-Masto asked for the restraining order. Cortez- Masto also requested a restraining order against Dr. Eladio Carrera, who worked at and is a co-owner of the center. That request was still pending.

Judge Wall said that the temporary order against Desai was warranted because the Board of Medical Examiners "has demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits" of its complaint against the doctor. He also said "imminent and irreparable harm will result" if the order isn't issued.

Besides the medical board's activity, the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada health crises is the subject of a criminal probe being conducted by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI, Cortez Masto's office and the Clark County district attorney.

Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada Loses License, Pays Fine

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Yesterday the City of Las Vegas handed out a stiff punishment to the owners of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, the clinic where unsanitary practices many have exposed thousands of people to hepatitis and HIV. Not only has the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada lost its business license, but the owners of the practice were hit with a $500,000 fine. But many angry patients who attended a hearing of the city council said they hoped the investigation into the Endoscopy Center's abuses would eventually result in criminal indictments.

In February, the Southern Nevada Health District sent letters to 40,000 people treated at the clinic, advising them to get tested for hepatitis B and C, and HIV. The Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada has been under investigation since early January, after health officials learned of three people who had been diagnosed with hepatitis C after being treated there. Ultimately, the Southern Nevada Health District said a total of six people were known to have contracted hepatitis C after being treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. Five of them were treated the same day in late September; the sixth is believed to have been infected in July, the district said. The Southern Nevada Health District investigation revealed that “unsafe injection practices related to the administration of anesthesia medication might have exposed patients to the blood of other patients.” Last week, a seventh hepatitis C victim, who had been treated at a clinic owned by the same group that owns the Endoscopy Center, was identified.

The hepatitis C virus may have been spread when clinic staff reused syringes and used a single dose of anesthesia medication on multiple patients, the district said. A syringe would become contaminated by the backflow of blood when patients with a blood-borne disease were injected with medication, health officials said. That syringe, in turn, would be reused to withdraw medication from a different vial. That vial could become contaminated and result in infection.

The subsequent investigation of the clinic revealed even more substandard practices. Several staff members told investigators that biopsy equipment labeled for single use was reused for multiple patients after disinfection. Others reported that they were directed to reuse bite blocks - devices put in patients’ mouths for some procedures - on multiple patients.

Attendees at yesterday's hearing had hoped to hear from Dr. Dipak Desai and others involved in the Endoscopy Center scandal. But there was little legal weight behind the city's request that they testify. Instead, the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada and an affiliated clinic lost their business licenses, which the city had already suspended on February 29. According to a report for in the Las Vegas Sun, lawyers for the clinic had contacted the mayors office looking to avoid a full-blown hearing. They agreed to accept the city's decision to rescind the business license, and agreed to pay a $500,000 fine. The fine was paid at yesterday's hearing.

Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman said the money could be used to a assist those who were directly affected by the Endoscopy Center debacle. The mayor said it could be spent to offset the cost of blood tests to determine whether the 40,000 people advised to be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Goodman also mentioned that it would cost an estimated $500,000 to hire an outside business to organize medical records Metro Police confiscated from the clinic.

Several people attending the meeting - many of them former patients of the Endoscopy Center - told the Las Vegas Sun that they wanted to see more action - preferably in the form of criminal charges - taken against Desai and others. They could have their wish granted soon , as a criminal investigation of the Gastroenterology Center of Nevada's clinics - one of which is the Endoscopy Center - is currently underway.

More Violations Found At Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The unsanitary practices employed by the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada have turned out to have been much worse than first reported. In addition to reusing syringes and drawing from single-dose medicine vials for multiple patients, the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada regularly performed 2-minute surgeries and reused other disposable devices. These revelations have caused some to speculate that the reused syringes and medicine vials might not be the primary cause of a hepatitis C outbreak linked to the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, but health investigators say that is not likely.

In February, the Southern Nevada Health District sent letters to 40,000 people treated at the clinic, advising them to get tested for hepatitis B and C, and HIV. The Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada has been under investigation since early January, after health officials learned of three people who had been diagnosed with hepatitis C after being treated there. Ultimately, the Southern Nevada Health District said a total of six people were known to have contracted hepatitis C after being treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. Five of them were treated the same day in late September; the sixth is believed to have been infected in July, the district said. The Southern Nevada Health District investigation revealed that “unsafe injection practices related to the administration of anesthesia medication might have exposed patients to the blood of other patients.” In March, a seventh hepatitis C victim, who had been treated at a clinic owned by the same group that owns the Endoscopy Center, was identified.

The hepatitis C virus may have been spread when clinic staff reused syringes and used a single dose of anesthesia medication on multiple patients, the district said. A syringe would become contaminated by the backflow of blood when patients with a blood-borne disease were injected with medication, health officials said. That syringe, in turn, would be reused to withdraw medication from a different vial. That vial could become contaminated and result in infection.

But now it appears that may have just been the beginning of the dangerous methods employed by the Endoscopy Center. According to a report in the Las Vegas Sun, the clinic regularly engaged in other dangerous practices. Several staff members told investigators that biopsy equipment labeled for single use was reused for multiple patients after disinfection. Records seem to confirm this: 7,800 biopsies or polyp removals were performed in 2007, but only 6,200 biopsy forceps or polyp removal wires were purchased.

The clinic’s staff also told investigators they’d reused bite blocks - devices put in patients’ mouths for some procedures - which cost about $2.25 each. According to the Las Vegas Sun, the clinic’s purchasing records show it bought only about 2,000 bite blocks in 2007, when about 5,800 upper endoscopy procedures, which call for use of the blocks, were performed there. One clinic staffer told investigators that they were permitted to use only four bit blocks each day in each of the Endoscopy Center's procedure rooms.

The Las Vegas Sun also is reporting that on Sept. 21, 2007 — one of the dates on which hepatitis C was passed to patients — one colonoscopy lasted only two minutes and another only three minutes. Several staff members told investigators that anesthesia times had been incorrectly reported to allow for additional billing. This could be insurance fraud and is the subject of an investigation by the Nevada attorney general’s office and the FBI.

Endoscopy Center Doc Has Passport Flagged

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

A doctor at the center of a Las Vegas hepatitis C outbreak has reportedly had his passport flagged. Should Dr. Dipak Desai, majority owner of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, try to leave the country, officials in that state would be notified. Unsanitary practices employed at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada have been blamed for several cases of hepatitis C among the clinic's patients.

In February, the Southern Nevada Health District sent letters to 40,000 people treated at the clinic, advising them to get tested for hepatitis B and C, and HIV. The Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada has been under investigation since early January, after health officials learned of three people who had been diagnosed with hepatitis C after being treated there. Ultimately, the Southern Nevada Health District said a total of six people were known to have contracted hepatitis C after being treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. Five of them were treated the same day in late September; the sixth is believed to have been infected in July, the district said. The Southern Nevada Health District investigation revealed that “unsafe injection practices related to the administration of anesthesia medication might have exposed patients to the blood of other patients.” In March, a seventh hepatitis C victim, who had been treated at a clinic owned by the same group that owns the Endoscopy Center, was identified.

The hepatitis C virus may have been spread when clinic staff reused syringes and used a single dose of anesthesia medication on multiple patients, the district said. A syringe would become contaminated by the backflow of blood when patients with a blood-borne disease were injected with medication, health officials said. That syringe, in turn, would be reused to withdraw medication from a different vial. That vial could become contaminated and result in infection.

Authorities arranged to have Desai's passport flagged after serving a search warrant at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada last month. While the action would not prevent him from leaving the country, it would allow investigators to attempt to interview Desai before he left the country.

Nurses have told health officials they were directed to reuse syringes and single-dose vials of medicine on multiple patients. It still is unclear who told them to do so and whether that was standard policy at the clinic. According to a report in the Las Vegas Sun, at a public hearing last week attended by 200 people, many expressed outrage that Desai was not under arrest and that he still is allowed to practice medicine, though Desai has voluntarily agreed not to do so for the time being.

Last week, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman stated his intention to have the city subpoena Desai and other doctors who own the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada to testify at a hearing at which the city will consider rescinding the Endoscopy Center’s business license. To keep their city business license, the owners of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada will need to make their case at a public hearing April 7 in the Las Vegas City Council chambers. The city had suspended the clinic’s business license on February 29, as well as that of its related practice, the Gastroenterology Center of Nevada. So far, neither Desai nor any of the other doctors involved with the clinic have made public statements about its practices.

Las Vegas to Subpoena Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada Doctors

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Doctors from the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada may finally be forced to break their silence - at least if the Mayor of Las Vegas has his way. The unsanitary practices employed by practitioners at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada are at the center of a hepatitis C scare that could affect thousands of people. Now, Mayor Oscar Goodman says that the doctors who own the clinic will be subpoenaed to testify at a hearing at which the city will consider rescinding the Endoscopy Center's business license.

In February, the Southern Nevada Health District sent letters to 40,000 people treated at the clinic, advising them to get tested for hepatitis B and C, and HIV. The Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada has been under investigation since early January, after health officials learned of three people who had been diagnosed with hepatitis C after being treated there. Ultimately, the Southern Nevada Health District said a total of six people were known to have contracted hepatitis C after being treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. Five of them were treated the same day in late September; the sixth is believed to have been infected in July, the district said. The Southern Nevada Health District investigation revealed that “unsafe injection practices related to the administration of anesthesia medication might have exposed patients to the blood of other patients.” Last week, a seventh hepatitis C victim, who had been treated at a clinic owned by the same group that owns the Endoscopy Center, was identified.

The hepatitis C virus may have been spread when clinic staff reused syringes and used a single dose of anesthesia medication on multiple patients, the district said. A syringe would become contaminated by the backflow of blood when patients with a blood-borne disease were injected with medication, health officials said. That syringe, in turn, would be reused to withdraw medication from a different vial. That vial could become contaminated and result in infection.

According to the Las Vegas Sun, Mayor Goodman said the city is in the process of subpoenaing the physicians who own the practice — majority owner Dr. Dipak Desai, Dr. Eladio Carrera, Dr. Clifford Carrol and Dr. Vishvinder Sharma. Ten other physicians worked at the clinics. None of the owners of the clinic has made any public statements since the scandal broke. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Desai has voluntarily agreed to stop practicing medicine during the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners’ investigation of his conduct. The others may still be practicing at other affiliated clinics or in local hospital.

To keep their city business license, the owners of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada will need to make their case at a public hearing April 7 in the Las Vegas City Council chambers. The city had suspended the clinic's business license on February 29, as well as that of its related practice, the Gastroenterology Center of Nevada. The city has alleged that Desai ordered nurses and others at the clinic to reuse syringes in order to save money.

Nevada Confirms Seventh Hepatitis Case

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Nevada health inspectors have identified a seventh person who contracted hepatitis as a result of unsanitary practices employed by a Las Vegas clinic. The clinic, the Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center, is owned by the same physician who owns the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. The Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada was shut down earlier this month after health officials in Nevada traced six cases of hepatitis C to that clinic.

The Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada has been under investigation since early January, after health officials learned of three people who had been diagnosed with hepatitis C. Ultimately, the Southern Nevada Health District said a total of six people were known to have contracted hepatitis C after being treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. Five of them were treated the same day in late September; the sixth is believed to have been infected in July, the district said. The Southern Nevada Health District investigation revealed that “unsafe injection practices related to the administration of anesthesia medication might have exposed patients to the blood of other patients.”

The hepatitis C virus may have been spread when clinic staff reused syringes and used a single dose of anesthesia medication on multiple patients, the district said. A syringe would become contaminated by the backflow of blood when patients with a blood-borne disease were injected with medication, health officials said. That syringe, in turn, would be reused to withdraw medication from a different vial. That vial could become contaminated and result in infection. Earlier this month, the health district sent letters to some 40,000 patients treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, warning them that they should be tested for hepatitis B, C and HIV.

The Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada is owned by Dr. Dipak Desai, as is the Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center. According to Nevada health officials, a patient treated at Desert Shadow tested positive for hepatitis C in 2006, but the illness was only recently reported to the Southern Nevada Health District. The patient, who tested negative before undergoing a procedure at Desert Shadow, was diagnosed with acute hepatitis C several weeks after the procedure.

In all, Desai heads up six clinics in the state. All of Desai's group either have been shut down or face operating restrictions pending the outcome of investigations into practices at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada.

Meanwhile, Nevada health officials have finished inspecting all but two of Nevada's 50 similar clinics. Seven of the inspected clinics had "major infection control problems, such as the reuse of single-dose vials," according to a release from Gov. Jim Gibbons' office. Two others had "medium-level" issues such as sterilization problems, 17 had minor problems and the rest had no deficiencies.

Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada Results in Shake-Up at State Agencies

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The fallout from the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada hepatitis outbreak continued yesterday, as the governor of Nevada fired the head of the state's Bureau of Licensure and Certification, and called for the replacement of three other doctors who sit on the Board of State Medical Examiners, as well as the head of that board. However, none of those individuals has resigned, and two charged that the governor is playing politics by asking for their removal.

The Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada has been under investigation since early January, after health officials learned of three people who had been diagnosed with hepatitis C. Ultimately, the Southern Nevada Health District said a total of six people were known to have contracted hepatitis C after being treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. Five of them were treated the same day in late September; the sixth is believed to have been infected in July, the district said. The Southern Nevada Health District investigation revealed that “unsafe injection practices related to the administration of anesthesia medication might have exposed patients to the blood of other patients.”

The hepatitis C virus may have been spread when clinic staff reused syringes and used a single dose of anesthesia medication on multiple patients, the district said. A syringe would become contaminated by the backflow of blood when patients with a blood-borne disease were injected with medication, health officials said. That syringe, in turn, would be reused to withdraw medication from a different vial. That vial could become contaminated and result in infection.

Earlier this month, the health district sent letters to some 40,000 patients treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, warning them that they should be tested for hepatitis B, C and HIV. Last week, several trial lawyers in the state reported that they were representing nearly 100 former clinic patients who tested positive for blood borne diseases that they suspect originated at the Endoscopy Center. Most of those patients have hepatitis C, but some have HIV, the lawyers said.

Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons yesterday ordered the removal of Lisa Jones as head of the state Bureau of Licensure and Certification. The bureau oversees clinics in the state, including the Endoscopy Center. But three doctors on the state Board of Medical Examiners who Gibbons wants replaced didn't resign immediately. Drs. Javaid Anwar, S. Daniel McBride and Sohail Anjum already had recused themselves from any board meetings dealing with the Endoscopy Center. Gibbons wants the three doctors replaced because of their associations or business dealings with Dr. Dipak Desai, owner of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. Gibbons also is seeking to replace Tony Clark, the medical board's executive director.

According to the Associated Press, McBride termed the governor's move "outrageous," adding that he won't step down and accusing Gibbons of "trying to inject politics into the board process." He said that if the Board of Medical Examiners seemed to move slowly on the hepatitis issue, it was because Gibbons' Board of Licensure and Certification delayed informing the examiners' panel until after stories of the problem broke.

Clark is also refusing to go quietly, saying he would only resign if asked to by the board. Clark also said he believed the governors call for him to resign was part of political vendetta. Clark, formerly Nevada's adjutant general, ran the state Air and Army National Guard when Gibbons, a decorated military pilot, was ordered to retire as Air Guard vice commander in late 1994. But the governor said that his calls for Clark to be replaced have nothing to do with that incident.

Nevada Hepatitis C Outbreak Tied to Las Vegas Clinic. Thousands Now At Risk for Hepatitis, HIV

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Hepatitis C and other blood borne diseases now threaten thousands of people in Nevada, thanks to the unsafe way anesthesia was administered at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas. At least six people who received treatment at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada have already tested positive for Hepatitis C, but health officials in the state have urged another 40,000 to be tested for the virus, as well as HIV.

Hepatitis C is a blood disorder that is transmitted through blood-to-blood contact. Hepatitis C for the most part is asymptomatic and often leads to chronic, and long-term infection resulting in approximately 70% of those infected developing liver disease. Hepatitis C is a risk factor for liver cancer and can lead to the need for a liver transplant. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS, and is transmitted through the exchange of bodily fluids, including blood-to-blood contact.

The Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada Health has been under investigation since early January, after health officials learned of three people who had been diagnosed with Hepatitis C. According to the Southern Nevada Health District, a total of six people contracted Hepatitis C after being treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. Five of them were treated the same day in late September; the sixth is believed to have been infected in July, the district said. The Southern Nevada Health District investigation revealed that “unsafe injection practices related to the administration of anesthesia medication might have exposed patients to the blood of other patients,” the statement said.

The Hepatitis C virus may have been spread when clinic staff reused syringes and used a single dose of anesthesia medication on multiple patients, the district said. A syringe would become contaminated by the backflow of blood when patients with a blood-borne disease were injected with medication, health officials said. That syringe, in turn, would be reused to withdraw medication from a different vial. That vial could become contaminated and result in infection.

The Southern Nevada Health District said that the unsafe practices had been in place for several years at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, and may have put others at risk. About 40,000 patients who received injections of anesthesia at the clinic will be told of the potential exposure in letters arriving next week. Anyone who received anesthesia at the clinic from March 2004 to Jan. 11 should be tested for the virus, along with Hepatitis B and HIV. The Southern Nevada Health Districts patient notification will be the largest of its kind in the country.

This is not the first time an outbreak of Hepatitis was blamed on medical practitioners who reused syringes or reused multidose vials of anesthesia on more than one patient. Late last year, the New York State Department of Health warned thousands of people treated by Long Island anesthesiologist Harvey Finkelstein that they were at risk for Hepatitis C, B and HIV. Finkelstein also was known to reuse syringes. At least one person is known to have contracted Hepatitis C as a result of Finkelstein's unsanitary practices, and another six patients tested positive for the disease, although it is not absolutely certain that the virus was the result of Finkelstein's treatment. Another six tested positive for Hepatitis B.

Hepatitis Lawyer Injury HIV Attorney Las Vegas (LV) Endoscopy Center Lawsuit Nevada

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada - Potential Hepatitis and HIV Exposure. Free Case Review by our Hepatitis and HIV Injury Lawyers and Attorneys.

Keywords: Hepatitis | Lawyer | Injury | HIV | Attorney | Las Vegas (LV) | Endoscopy Center | Lawsuit | Nevada

The Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada routinely reused syringes on multiple patients, a negligent practice which exposed thousands of patients to blood borne diseases, including Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. All of these diseases are extremely debilitating and can be fatal. The Hepatitis injury lawyers at our firm want to hold the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada accountable for the gross negligence that occurred there. It is our contention that the clinic should be responsible for any medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering caused by this negligence. Our Hepatitis injury lawyers will work hard to make sure victims of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada receive the compensation they deserve.

The Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada

In February 2008, officials with the Southern Nevada Health District announced that a total of six people contracted Hepatitis C after being treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. Five of them were treated the same day in late September 2007, the sixth is believed to have been infected in July, the district said. The health district advised that anyone who received anesthesia at the clinic from March 2004 to Jan. 11 2008 should be tested for the virus, along with Hepatitis B and HIV.

The Southern Nevada Health District's patient notification will be the largest of its kind in the country. People treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas were warned by health officials that they were at risk for, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B and HIV because of the unsanitary practices employed by the Endoscopy Center of Las Vegas. Because these unsanitary practices had been used at the clinic for years, Nevada health officials said that upwards of 40,000 people could have been exposed to Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B and HIV

The Southern Nevada Health District had begun investigating the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada in January 2008, after it was notified of three people who had been treated there had been diagnosed with Hepatitis C. The district's investigation revealed that unsafe injection practices related to the administration of anesthesia medication could have exposed patients to the blood of other patients.

Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B and HIV may have been spread when clinic staff reused syringes and used a single dose of anesthesia medication on multiple patients, the district said. A syringe would become contaminated by the backflow of blood when patients with a blood-borne disease were injected with medication. That syringe, in turn, would be reused to withdraw medication from a different vial. That vial could become contaminated and result in infection. Several nurses and other practitioners at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada told health investigators that they reused syringes at the direction of the clinic's management. Reusing syringes violates medical standards for infection control. Our Hepatitis injury lawyers will work hard to make sure the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada is held accountable for this negligence.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver and produces a variety of symptoms. Often, hepatitis can be asymptomatic, producing no visible symptoms. Hepatitis A, B, C, and D are the most common types of Hepatitis found in the United States. People that are at the greatest danger of contracting hepatitis include: intravenous drug users, health care workers, individuals with multiple sex partners, people who have contracted an STD in the past; and those living with a person who has a form of chronic hepatitis.

There are various forms of Hepatitis, but the varieties do share common symptoms. These include fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, nausea, muscle or joint pain, dark colored urine and jaundice. Good sanitation and hygiene, avoiding contaminated foods and water, practicing safe sex, getting vaccinated, not using intravenous drugs and not sharing personal products are all important measures to follow in avoiding Hepatitis. Our Hepatitis injury lawyers have represented clients who were exposed to these forms of Hepatitis by healthcare providers and others who have failed to follow sanitary protocols.

Prescription medications can also bring about Hepatitis. Glucose-lowering drugs known as thiazolidinediones (TZDs), which include Actos and Avandia include Hepatitis as a side effect.

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a blood disorder that is transmitted through blood-to-blood contact, such as that which occurred when practitioners at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada reused syringes. Hepatitis C is for the most part is asymptomatic, but approximately 70% of those infected will develop serious liver disease. Hepatitis C is a risk factor for liver cancer and can lead to the need for a liver transplant. By February 2008, six patients of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada had already tested positive for this devastating disease. The infectious disease attorneys at our law firm believe that there could be many more Hepatitis C victims as a result of the clinic's negligence, and we want to see to it that anyone who contracted this disease due to this clinic's unsafe practices is justly compensated for their suffering.

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is another blood-borne virus that attacks the liver. Hepatitis B can clear up on its own in about two weeks. However, cases of chronic Hepatitis B can also occur. Chronic Hepatitis B is associated with a chronic inflammation of the liver, leading to cirrhosis over a period of several years. This type of infection dramatically increases the incidence of liver cancer. The unsanitary practices employed by the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada may have exposed tens of thousands of people to Hepatitis B. Again, this situation was entirely avoidable, and the Hepatitis injury lawyers at our firm believe anyone who contracted Hepatitis B because of these practices is due compensation.

Other Forms of Hepatitis

There are several other types of Hepatitis that can be spread through unsanitary practices. is spread through oral contact with infected fecal matter. Hepatitis A often causes an acute illness, however it is also possible for Hepatitis A to be asymptomatic (without symptoms). Hepatitis A can also be transmitted person-to-person via contact or from contaminated food or water. Yet another form of the diseases, Hepatitis D only occurs in those already infected with Hepatitis B.

Legal Help for the Suffers of Hepatitis

If you or a loved one where treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada and now suffer from Hepatitis or any other blood borne disease, you have valuable legal rights. Please contact one of our experienced Hepatitis injury lawyers today by filling out our online form or call 1-800 LAW INFO (529-4636).