Did Nurse Deliberately Give Hepatitis C Infection to 35 Patients?

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Did Nurse Deliberately Give Hepatitis C Infection to 35 Patients?

Safe syringes were used by infected nurse with hep C then replaced and filled with a saline solution to cover her tracks.

A female nurse who worked as a surgery scrub tech at Rose Medical Centre in Denver and Audubon Ambulatory Surgery Centre in Colorado Springs. Admitted to police and prosecutors that she repeatedly stole syringes of fentanyl from operating rooms, then injecting herself with the painkiller, she then refilled the tainted syringes with sterile saline solution and put them back.

Prosecutors are now saying that she infected at least 35 patients with hepatitis C infection.

There was criticism from prosecutors that she was not completely truthful about the history of her drug abuse during her debriefings. She had contracted Hepatitis C from using syringes used by others to inject her daily heroin fix.

A 41-year-old psychotherapist and mother of two who had suspicions that she was infected by the nurse said:

“She maliciously knew what she was doing” -

The nurse told police she didn’t know she was infected with hepatitis C when she stole painkillers meant for patients and replaced the medication with saline in dirty syringes.

If convicted, she faces 34 years in prison but could get life behind bars if prosecutors prove she caused serious bodily injury or death to a patient.

”I suppose the saving grace is that no patients from Audubon have yet tested positive.” – “Maybe this is a chance for us to learn how hospitals could prevent theft of drugs in the future.”

“Let me know if you have any thoughts on this matter.”

Dawn Pugh Expert therapist.

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Tagged as: Colorado Springs, Conditions and Diseases, Denver, Digestive Disorders, Health, hep c, Hepatitis, Hepatitis C, hepatitis c infection, hepatitis treatment, injecting, Liver, needle exchange, safe syringe, Surgery, symptoms hepatitis, Syringe, syringes, viral hepatitis