Two more Las Vegas ambulatory centers have been cited for improper medical practices during an ongoing statewide investigation of outpatient surgical sites prompted by a clinic-based hepatitis C outbreak. The violations are not as serious as those at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas, officials said Friday. At ECSN, health inspectors believe nurse anesthetists' reuse of syringes and medicine vials infected at least six patients who underwent procedures there.
Inspectors cited the Digestive Disease Center, 2136 E. Desert Inn Rd., for five violations, including improperly disinfecting or cleaning endoscopy equipment. Each of the problems was corrected on the spot, said Martha Framsted, a spokesperson for the state's Health Division.
At Centennial Spine and Pain, 4454 N. Decatur Blvd., the reuse of single-dose medication vials was observed. A spokesperson for the facility, Vickie Axsom-Brian, said that has been corrected.
By Friday, 35 of the state's 50 outpatient surgical centers had been inspected, and the remaining sites, all in southern Nevada, are set to be visited by March 21. The Nevada-wide inspections are being spearheaded by the Southern Nevada Health District, CDC, and the state's Bureau of Licensure and Certification.
The investigation of ECSN resulted in its closure as well as the closing of several other valley surgical centers affiliated with the clinic's doctors. Las Vegas police say they are finalizing plans to allow ECSN patients to obtain their medical records, while local, state, and federal agencies continue to look into the possibility of insurance fraud and patient neglect at ECSN.
03/15/08
NEVADA: Inspectors Cite Two More Surgery Centers
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal:: Annette Wells; Courtesy of the CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention