Hepatitis C is a serious infection that can be contracted in multiple ways. This past summer a medical technician was arrested for starting an outbreak of hepatitis C in New Hampshire. Now, a Maryland patient's case of hepatitis C has been linked to this same medical technician.
The medical technician worked in numerous hospitals in recent years and reportedly took medications intended for patients and injected them into himself. He then replaced these syringes with ones he had previously used. The other medical employees who then injected the patients with the man's old syringes did not realize the switch had taken place.
Now, more than 1,000 patients who may have had contact with the medical technician are being tested for hepatitis C. Between May 2008 and March 2010, the man worked as a traveling medical technician at four Maryland hospitals.
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infection and can lead to liver damage or failure. Anyone who was infected with hepatitis C because of this medical technician's actions may deal with significant health issues in the years to come. This could include multiple liver transplants. People in New Hampshire, and maybe many more in Maryland, could face this reality because of a hospital employee's negligent actions.
According to a report, one Maryland veteran who was infected with hepatitis C has already filed a notice with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The notice reportedly states that he intends "to file a claim for damages, claiming [he] was infected with hepatitis C at the Baltimore VA Medical Center."
Others who believe a hospital's negligence led to an infection, illness or other medical issue may want to look into filing a medical malpractice claim. For a person to face a terrible illness through no fault of his or her own, but because of another's negligence, is not fair.
