2nd patient files lawsuit against Utah hospital, claims nurse exposed him to hepatitis

Megan Knowles -

After a patient sued Layton, Utah-based Davis Hospital & Medical Center in June, claiming a nurse may have exposed her to hepatitis C, another patient is suing the hospital and the nurse, according to the Standard-Examiner.

The nurse, Elet Neilson, faces criminal charges for allegedly diverting drugs and infecting patients with hepatitis C.

State authorities and federal prosecutors say Ms. Neilson exposed patients to hepatitis C at Davis hospital and Ogden, Utah-based McKay-Dee Hospital. In 2015, the hospitals sent letters warning 7,200 former patients of potential hepatitis C exposure.

In the most recent lawsuit, the second patient, Daniel Harger, claims the hospital failed to prevent Ms. Neilson from tampering with patient medication, reusing syringes and exposing patients to disease.

Ms. Neilson administered two doses of morphine to Mr. Harger when he went to the emergency room in 2011, according to the lawsuit.

During unrelated medical treatment in November 2017, Mr. Harger tested positive for hepatitis C virus genotype 2b, which was the same strain linked to Ms. Neilson, according to a 2016 investigation by the Utah Department of Health.

Attorneys for the hospital and Ms. Neilson have separately filed answering documents denying Mr. Harger's allegations.

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