When a Medical Test Makes You Sick
This story involves the Veterans Administration Hospitals in several states and colonoscopies done without the tubing on the equipment being properly sterilized.
How would you like to be told that the colonoscopy you had five years ago may have had body fluids from another person on the equipment that was inserted into your body, and that you now have to get tested for HIV, and hepititis.
They are saying that the tubing on the machine was cleaned only at the end of the day and not in between patients, and that some of these machines had wrong valves on them that could promote contamination.
The VA seems none too willing to discuss this but hundreds of people are having to now be tested for diseases they may have picked up from the VA hospitals. If you have had a colonoscopy within the past five years at a Veterans Hospital call and find out if you need to come in for some additional testing. Remember, better safe than sorry.