Report: Thousands of VA dental patients should be tested
Dayton Business Journal – A task force on April 21 recommended thousands of Dayton VA Medical Center patients be tested for exposure to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.
Dayton VA Task Force, made up of local health officials of the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association, conducted an independent review of the Dayton VA Medical Center Dental Clinic at the request of Ohio Rep. Michael Turner, Sen. Sherrod Brown and Sen. Robert Portman.
The review request came from incidents of patients at the Dayton VA being exposed to blood-bourne pathogens — hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV — from 1992 to January 2011 that resulted from a dentist failing to change his gloves and sterilize equipment between patients, according to the VA.
The task force recently reviewed the limited source material provided by the Dayton VA.
Task force officials said the incidents in the VA’s report were credible, extremely concerning and warranted closer examination.
