No PeaceHealth St. John patients contracted HIV or hepatitis after a sterilization issue was uncovered at the hospital earlier this year, according to a report from The Daily News.
The Longview, Wash.-based hospital offered free blood tests to roughly 260 patients who were fitted with dental appliances for sleep apnea after an internal review of infection control procedures revealed a step in the sterilization process may have been skipped.
Close to 90 percent of those 260 patients came in for blood testing, and none have come back positive, according to TDN.
"We always believed the risk of exposure was extremely low," Kirk Raboin, St. John's chief administrative officer, told TDN. "We acted out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety and well-being of our patients. While the findings are affirming, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or concern this process may have caused our patients and their families."