ZiffLaw has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit on behalf of 14 Corning Hospital patients who were potentially exposed to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV when a nurse used the same single use syringe on multiple patients.
The lawsuit was filed in Chemung County Supreme Court this morning.
Guthrie Corning Hospital said a registered nurse did not follow proper procedure when she used single-use saline syringes to flush multiple IV lines between Oct. 15 and Jan. 29. The single-use saline syringes are used to flush IV tubing before and after medication is administered.
The hospital said it mailed letters to 236 patients who were exposed to the contaminated syringe and urged them to be tested at regular intervals in the coming months.
It is shocking that a concept as simple as using a single-use syringe on only one patient could be overlooked by a registered nurse. Because of the malpractice committed by this nurse, hundreds of patients were potentially exposed to these deadly diseases.
I have had these patients sitting across the desk from me, and they are frightened that they will get sick or infect another family member. They are mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, and grandparents who are afraid to have physical contact with family members. They have to undergo periodic testing to see whether they are sick, and each time will be forced to hold their breath awaiting the results, which could be a death sentence.
We know that more than 200 people were potentially exposed to these deadly diseases – these were all folks who were admitted to the hospital for surgery or illness. Many of them may not understand the letters that were mailed or they may be too scared to know what to do. We are available to answer anyone’s questions concerning these cases and to explain their rights – they can email us at corningsyringeinfo@zifflaw.com, or call us 24 hours a day at 1-800 ZIFF LAW.
Thanks for reading.
__________________________________________
ZiffLaw Attorney, Esq.
NY and PA Injury and Malpractice Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY 14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: info@zifflaw.com
