Alerts in New Jersey. More than 3,700 patients are at risk of being infected with HIV and hepatitis due to medical errors

The New Jersey Health Department has found in studies that more than 3,700 patients in outpatient surgery centers may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C because of "infection control deficiencies" and instrument sterilization. doctor

Authorities said that patients who had undergone surgery at the Health Plus Surgery Center in Saddle Brook, an area located in Bergen County, might have been exposed between January and September 7, 2018. No reason was revealed for the Ministry of Health's investigation.

The director of the surgery center, Betty McCabe, said there were "deficiencies in infection control" related to cleaning medical instruments and injections. In total, 3,778 patients were asked to do a blood test to check their health status and rule out the possibility of infection.

According to a statement from the operations center, the department found that staff did not follow proper sterilization procedures "and did not comply with other regulations regarding drug administration and storage, as well as planning and control procedures."

Although the risk of infection is low and currently no affected people have been reported, the Ministry of Health shows that extreme precautions must be taken and patients invited to submit to control. The director of the center said that the institution would cover the medical costs associated with this prevention test.