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July 18. 2012 9:00PM
Another lawsuit brought over Exeter Hospital’s hepatitis C outbreak
Another former Exeter Hospital patient filed suit against the hospital Wednesday, claiming it is directly to blame for his becoming infected with the potentially-deadly hepatitis C virus.
The suit filed in Rockingham County Superior Court brings to at least 14 the number of individual complaints brought by former patients who tested positive for the same strain of hepatitis C linked to an outbreak at the hospital’s catheterization laboratory and recovery room. In addition, a potential class action suit has been filed with the court on behalf of at least five infected patients, but has not yet been certified.
Manchester attorney Mark A. Abramson filed the latest suit on behalf of Mario Secinaro, 77, of Lee. It accuses the hospital of negligence, reckless conduct, medical negligence, infliction of emotional distress and violation of the state Consumer Protection Act.
State public health officials so far have identified 31 people infected with the same strain of the virus linked to the hospital’s catheterization laboratory and recovery room. Thirty are former patients. One is a hospital employee.
While the investigation in to the source of the outbreak continues, public health officials say the most likely cause is a hospital employee who used syringes to inject painkillers intended for patients. They refuse to say if the infected employee is the same person suspected of injecting drugs in a possible drug diversion scheme.
Public health staff have been conducting blood tests of the more than 1,200 patients who may have been exposed to the Hepatitis C virus between Oct. 1, 2010, and May 25.
Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, state epidemiologist, said her office had considered testing for the human immunodeficiency virus — the virus that causes AIDS — but determined this was not a cause for concern.
“This is something we have thought about and we have no indication, based on the investigation we have done, that there is a risk for HIV infection,” Alroy-Preis said.
She would not comment further, but noted “in any kind of infection, you have to have the infection in order to transmit it to others.”
Kathryn Marchocki may be reached at kmarchocki@unionleader.com.
The suit filed in Rockingham County Superior Court brings to at least 14 the number of individual complaints brought by former patients who tested positive for the same strain of hepatitis C linked to an outbreak at the hospital’s catheterization laboratory and recovery room. In addition, a potential class action suit has been filed with the court on behalf of at least five infected patients, but has not yet been certified.
Manchester attorney Mark A. Abramson filed the latest suit on behalf of Mario Secinaro, 77, of Lee. It accuses the hospital of negligence, reckless conduct, medical negligence, infliction of emotional distress and violation of the state Consumer Protection Act.
State public health officials so far have identified 31 people infected with the same strain of the virus linked to the hospital’s catheterization laboratory and recovery room. Thirty are former patients. One is a hospital employee.
While the investigation in to the source of the outbreak continues, public health officials say the most likely cause is a hospital employee who used syringes to inject painkillers intended for patients. They refuse to say if the infected employee is the same person suspected of injecting drugs in a possible drug diversion scheme.
Public health staff have been conducting blood tests of the more than 1,200 patients who may have been exposed to the Hepatitis C virus between Oct. 1, 2010, and May 25.
Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, state epidemiologist, said her office had considered testing for the human immunodeficiency virus — the virus that causes AIDS — but determined this was not a cause for concern.
“This is something we have thought about and we have no indication, based on the investigation we have done, that there is a risk for HIV infection,” Alroy-Preis said.
She would not comment further, but noted “in any kind of infection, you have to have the infection in order to transmit it to others.”
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Kathryn Marchocki may be reached at kmarchocki@unionleader.com.
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