Nearly 450 patients at Salem Hospital in Massachusetts may have been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV due to improper administration of their IV medications, a hospital spokesperson said Thursday.
The potential exposures occurred over roughly two years and involved patients who needed an endoscopy, a procedure where doctors use a small camera to look inside the body to detect diseases.
The hospital was first made aware of the possible exposures earlier this year and the practice was immediately corrected, according to a statement.
“We sincerely apologize to those who have been impacted and we remain committed to delivering high-quality, compassionate health care to our community,” the hospital said.
The likelihood that patients were actually infected is “extremely small” and no patients reported infections as of Thursday, said Adam Bagni, the hospital’s director of external communications.