Hospital Worker Arrested, Accused of Exposing Thousands to Hepatitis C
As many as 6,000 patients who underwent surgery at a Denver-area hospital over a six-month period are being advised to have a blood test to determine whether they were exposed to hepatitis C by a hospital worker.
Kristen Diane Parker, a 26-year-old surgical scrub nurse at Rose Medical Center, has been accused of using syringes filled with painkillers meant for patients on herself, then refilling the syringes with saline solution. Parker allegedly was addicted to painkillers and was feeding her addiction by stealing the drugs intended for use in surgical patients. By reusing the needles she used to inject herself on patients, officials say Parker exposed thousands of patients to hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C is a disease carried in the blood which can result in severe liver problems, including liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver. Symptoms of hepatitis C infection may include nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, pain, and jaundice.
Parker reportedly had tested positive for hepatitis C during her work at Rose Medical Center.
Thousands of Patients at Risk
Parker was arrested last week. She began working at Rose Medical Center on October 21, 2008 and was suspended on April 13 after officials discovered her actions. At that time, she tested positive for Fentanyl, a potent painkiller commonly used to treat pain from surgery.
After leaving Rose Medical Center, Parker reportedly went to work for the Audubon Ambulatory Surgery Center in Colorado Springs from May 4, 2009 until July 6, 2009.
Officials now say thousands of surgery patients treated at both facilities may have been exposed to infectious hepatitis C due to Parker’s actions.
So far, at least nine former patients have tested positive for hepatitis C, according to Colorado state health officials. It is unclear how many patients have been tested.
Patients Offered Free Blood Tests
Rose Medical Center has contacted every patient who had surgery at the facility while Parker worked there. Patients have been offered a free blood test to determine whether they are carrying hepatitis C.
There were no details announced for how the Audubon Ambulatory Surgery Center is handling testing of its surgical patients.
Parker remains jailed on criminal charges of tampering with a consumer product, obtaining a controlled substance by deception or subterfuge, and creating a counterfeit controlled substance. She faces up to 34 years in prison if convicted of the charges.
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