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77 more hepatitis cases may trace to clinic, officials say

By KEN RITTER,
AP
Posted: 2008-05-09 10:23:11
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Seventy-seven more people who were treated at a Las Vegas outpatient clinic have been diagnosed with hepatitis C, health officials said.

Authorities can't say for sure how the 77 people were infected, said Brian Labus, senior epidemiologist with the Southern Nevada Health District. But they know each was treated from March 2004 to Jan. 11 this year at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada.

"We know they didn't have a positive test before they went to the clinic, and now they're positive," Labus said.

The reports bring the number of cases linked to clinics run by the same group of doctors to 85.

In the eight cases identified earlier, seven were linked to the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. The other case was traced to a sister clinic, Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center.

While 300 other patients also tested positive and were interviewed, officials determined they could have contracted the virus through other means, including intravenous drug use, blood transfusions, organ transplants and kidney dialysis.

The clinics were headed by doctors Dipak Desai and Eladio Carrera, whose Nevada medical licenses have been suspended pending hearings by the state Board of Medical Examiners.

Authorities have said at least 50,000 patients may have been exposed to unsafe practices by clinic staff who reused syringes and single-use vials of medication during anesthesia.

Hepatitis C results in the swelling of the liver and can cause stomach pain, fatigue and jaundice. It may eventually result in liver failure. Even when no symptoms occur, the virus can slowly cause damage to the liver.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
05/09/08 10:21 EDT
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14 comments

pjool 11:50:42 PM May 11 2008

I love nurses, and they are the right arm for the doctors. When my sis was in the hospital SHE wrote everything down and prevented several mistakes by doing that!!!! As far as greed goes, it is the HMO's that make the doctors have appointments every 10 minutes. THEY are the greedy ones!!!!!!!!!!!!!

icunurse2365 10:10:42 PM May 11 2008

as a nurse i am amazed any nurse would or could reuse a syrienge on a person. How did the nurses every live with themselves knowing what the doctors was doing, like i said as a nurse i know more of what my doctors are doing then they do most of the time, they depend on me to tell them what is going on with their patients because they have so many of them they cant keep them straight

jenny984 10:15:53 AM May 11 2008

stareagle4244..You sure right. . I also think they do a lot of guessing. I have a problem now that needs to be seen about but at the ER...They DO guess most of the time. I know...it's happened to me more than once.

jenny984 10:09:57 AM May 11 2008

yogi199lib, you are so right with talking about GREED!!! They schedule an appointment every 10 - 15 minutes. But one VERY important thing to remember. Don't you DARE be more than 10 minutes late or accidently forget your appointment. Why? Because you will have a bill of $25.00 on the way to you in the mail.

jenny984 10:05:39 AM May 11 2008

I have went to him for just about anything under the sun and he will
do something that I think a lot of Drs now days don't, won't or can't do.
*He will actually LISTEN to you.* .

jenny984 09:58:26 AM May 11 2008

I have a lot of health problems but I have to say that I have some pretty good Doctors. Well, that's my opinion of them. My family Dr. is so cool and he really amazes me.

jenny984 09:55:24 AM May 11 2008

Ok, I'm gonna try just pieces at a time. LOL Here goes nothing....Mosy likely.

jenny984 09:43:34 AM May 11 2008

That wasn't blank folks. AOL just didn't post it. Can ANYBODY help?

jenny984 09:41:34 AM May 11 2008

That was not a blank I sent. Just didn't include my post. Can you help?

jenny984 09:39:53 AM May 11 2008

Can someone help me with this? So I can post more?

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