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North Carolina Nursing Home Negligence?: Facility Investigated Following Five Patient Deaths from Hepatitis B

Public health investigators have been looking into whether the use of unclean or shared diabetes testing equipment caused at least eight patients to contract hepatitis B GlenCare Mount Olive center the GlenCare of Mount Olive. Five of the patients passed away last week. The average age of those who developed the virus is 70. This week, the state released its findings.

According to the NC Division of Public Health, certain staff members did not receive proper training on how to take care of diabetic patients and the assisted living facility violated resident rights. The virus was spread because blood monitor meters used for diabetes testing that had come into contact with tainted blood.

During the probe, a medication tech had indicated that adjustable lancing devices had been used on more than one patient and that the devices, as well as glucometers, were not routinely disinfected or cleaned in between uses. Also, nursing home employees reported that they were only allowed to use one box of gloves a shift, which forced them to have to buy their own additional gloves.

Hepatitis B
The Centers for Disease Control says that hepatitis B serious disease can impact the liver, resulting in diarrhea, appetite lose, jaundice, tiredness, vomiting, stomach pain, and joint and muscle aches. People with diabetes have a 15 times greater chance of developing acute hepatitis B.

It is the responsibility of nursing homes to make sure that they provide residents with the proper medical, nursing, and daily care, while protecting them from North Carolina nursing home abuse, neglect, and negligence. This includes making sure that the patients are not exposed to any unsafe or unsanitary conditions that could cause them to become even more ill or die.

Officials Release Findings In GlenCare Investigation, NBC17.com, November 16, 2010

Unclean procedures likely caused 5 hepatitis B deaths at nursing home, NewsObserver, November 12, 2010

Report: Unsafe practices led to fatal NC outbreak, NECN, November 12, 2010

Related Web Resources:
NC Divison of Public Health

Hepatitis B, eMedicineHealth

Full post as published by North Carolina Injury Lawyer Blog on November 16, 2010 (boomark / email).