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Long Island Needle Scare
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
New York health officials are investigating a Long Island physician who has allegedly put hundreds of patients at risk by reusing needles and syringes over the last couple of years.
The allegations come out of a pain clinic in Plainview, Long Island. The doctor, Dr. Harvey Finkelstein, allegedly gave his patients shots, and then dipped the used syringes back into medicine viles, potentially contaminating the medicine he would then inject into other patients with old syringes.
Nurses that have worked at the office claim to know of 2 patients who contracted hepatitis C following treatment from Dr. Finkelstein.
A top Nassau County Executive has come forward to say that the county knew about the cases, but had to force the state to do something about the issue. He says the state didn't go far enough to alert the general public. The Nassau County health commissioner was on hand, saying the physician cooperated in the investigation and the 630 patients of concern have all received letters warning them of HIV and Hepatitis risks.
One of the main ways that the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), heptitis B and hepatitis C are transmitted is by direct blood contact, which may occur through needle sharing, transfusions, accidents in health care settings and defective blood products.
About Human Immunodificiency Virus (HIV)
HIV is a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening disease and infection. As of January 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that HIV has been responsible for more than 25 million deaths worldwide since it was first officially recognized on December 1, 1981.
About Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne, infectious, viral disease that is caused by a hepatotropic virus called Hepatitis C virus (HCV). The infection can cause liver inflammation (hepatitis), and chronic hepatitis can result later in cirrhosis (fibrotic scarring of the liver) and even liver cancer. Some of these conditions can take as long as 30 years to manifest.
It is estimated that 90% of persons with chronic HCV infection were infected through transfusion of unscreened blood or blood products or from injected drug use or by inhalational drug use.
Although injection drug use and receipt of infected blood to blood products are the most common sources of HIV and HCV infection, any practice or activity that involves blood-to-blood exposure can potentially be a source of either infection.
If you or a loved one believe you may have been infected by an unsafe medical practice, including the reuse of needles or syringes, please call us at 1.800.966.4999 or fill out the form to the right of the page for immediate attention to your case.
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