WESTPORT, Jul 24 '97 (Reuters) - French investigators
believe that colonoscopy was the route of hepatitis C transmission
from one patient who was HCV positive to two other patients who
underwent colonoscopy on the same day in the same unit.
Dr. Jean-Pierre Bronowicki and associates from the Centre
Hospitalier Universitaire de Nancy in Vandoeuvre, France, describe
their investigation into the cases in the July 24 issue of The New
England Journal of Medicine. "The timing of the events and the
molecular characterization of the various HCV isolates provide
evidence that HCV was transmitted during colonoscopy," the
investigators write.
They believe that the lack of use of two currently recommended
endoscope disinfection procedures could have resulted in HCV being
transmitted: the biopsy-suction channel of the endoscope was not
cleaned with a brush and the biopsy forceps and the diathermic loop
were not autoclaved following each use.
"Inadequate" procedures to avoid contamination via anesthesia
equipment may also have led to HCV transmission, the investigators
say. While the IV tubing and "...all the syringes containing the
anesthetic drugs were changed after the first colonoscopy, in which
the patient...was known to be HCV-positive," records show that
"...inadequate procedures were followed during the other two
procedures."
N Engl J Med 1997;337:237-240.
Home | What is HCV | Transmission |
Future |
Complications |
Biopsy |
Treatment
| Lab |
Nutrition |
Patient |
Links | Transplant |
Webrings |
guestbookbook |
Awards |
FAQ
|