10 veterans get disease after colonoscopies
March 27, 2009The USA Today ran a story today highlighting 10 veterans who were infected with hepatitis B and C after getting colonoscopies in VA hospitals. Apparently the infections happened because colonoscopy tubes weren’t sterilized properly between procedures.
It’s interesting to know that these things can happen when you go into the hospital for medical care. The article says not to worry about infections, though. Infections resulting from colonoscopies happen 1 in every 1 million to 2 million procedures.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
I get so burned up when I hear people,doctors, and scientist say “Don’t worry, it only happens to one in a million”. That is so very easy to say, and that’s why according to some statistics the medical community has killed (iatrogenic death) more people that all the wars this country has been involved in since it’s conception. Being a veteran and also being a victim of a couple of not to worry incidence’s I think we need to better take care of ourselves and not have to venture into those hospitals.
The gov’t is recalling more drugs that the gov’t has approved ( FDA ) than ever before. Big Pharma is advertising many drugs for non life threatening
problems and the side effects of these drugs are life threatening. Our health is our own responsibility and we need to take care and stop eating the ( SDA ) standard American diet. An ounce of prevention is beter than…..
This is typical in VA hospitals, I hate to say it because I’m a vet and have received great primary care from VA but I would never in a million years think about having a colonoscopy, a surgery or any other invasive procedure at a VA hospital. And the US wants to offer government healthcare to all citizens?
You better be careful what you wish for folks.
If money is the issue or you dont have insurance then ask the VA to refer you out to a trusted hospital (they will pay if it is service connected) but then again not every hospital has an impeccable record. Keep fightin j pouchers and IBD sufferers!