The hospital, part of Springfield, Mass.-based Baystate Health, identified a possible issue with a sterilizer unit during a routine assessment and has since contacted a “limited number” of affected patients to undergo testing “out of an abundance of caution,” a Baystate Health spokesperson confirmed in a statement to Becker’s.
The risk of infection is “exceedingly low,” the health system said.
“The health and safety of our patients is important,” a Baystate Health spokesperson said in a statement. “While we are not going to comment further on specifics, we can share that all patients who required outreach have been notified by their provider, and we have not identified any illness or infection related to this.”
In a statement to MassLive, the state health department confirmed that Baystate Wing Hospital reported the issue. The sterilizer’s manufacturer has since inspected the unit and verified it is functioning properly, the health department said. The hospital has also implemented corrective actions, including additional staff training.
Hepatitis and HIV can take weeks to months to be detectable, with follow-up testing often recommended.
