The U.S. Air Force is notifying 135 patients they may have been exposed to bloodborne pathogens via improperly sterilized endoscopes at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, according to a review conducted by the U.S. Air Force Medical Service.
Medical investigators with the U.S. Air Force found endoscopes used for upper and lower gastrointestinal procedures at the Qatar air base were sterilized with methods inconsistent with the scope manufacturer's recommended process from April 2008 to April 2016. Patients treated with the scopes over the eight-year time period could have been exposed to bloodborne illnesses like HIV or hepatitis B and C.
"Providing quality healthcare to our airmen and their families is our top priority," Brig. Gen. Robert Miller, commander of the Air Force Medical Operations Agency, said in a release. "We apologize to our patients and assure them that appropriate actions have been taken to address and mitigate the causes that led to this problem."
Air Force health officials have issued a patient safety alert to ensure healthcare workers at the base are complying with cleaning, decontamination, inspection and sterilization processes recommended for the endoscopes, and clinicians at the base are no longer performing endoscopy or colonoscopy procedures. Medical officials are also reaching out to potentially exposed patients and encouraging them to be tested.
"The risk of exposure to patients is low," said Mr. Miller. "It's important, though, for anyone who receives a notification to contact us to discuss the situation and if they desire to pursue diagnostic testing. Our medical team is here to address concerns and help patients throughout this entire process."
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