15 cases of potentially fatal hepatitis C have been reported so far by officials at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus. Administrators from the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center’s City Campus contacted the state this month after learning about the five recent cases of hepatitis C during an annual federally mandated hepatitis C testing of dialysis patients. The testing took place late last month and early this month and revealed that the five became positive for hepatitis C since they began undergoing treatment at AtlantiCare. Reports state that the 15 patients contracted the serious, sometimes deadly, liver disease since 2005 at the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center.
New Jersey health officials indicate that, in 2007, that state saw over 100 acute and 7,000 chronic hepatitis C cases, adding that the Center’s dialysis unit treats between 70 to 80 kidney patients monthly, with patients visiting the center three times weekly for dialysis. Dialysis involves the patient’s blood being pumped into a dialysis machine, where it is filtered and returned to the patient’s body; dialysis machines at the center are inspected once every two years. The hospital maintains it follows “strict guidelines,” that include disinfection and cleaning of the equipment.
The 15 effected patients came out of a group of 245 patients, and the dialysis center has a lower-than-average patient survival rate when compared to the state. The cause of the virus is still unknown as the hospital, the state, and health officials are diligently working to determine the cause and origin of the virus.
Please contact Messa & Associates for more information.
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