University of New Mexico School of Medicine (UNM) officials said that at least a few dozen people could be at risk for disease due to shoddy infection-control practices involving needles, the Associated Press reports.
UNM made the announcement in an attempt to track down the 51-55 people who participated in free testing on April 24 (carried out by a group of medical students) at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM.
The students did not correctly change the needles that were used on devices for blood glucose testing, the AP reports. According to Sam Giammo, a spokesman for UNM’s Health Sciences Center, the devices should never been used in a public venue and not all of the students in the group received proper training on the devices. Since immediate test results were received, records on participants were not kept, which adds difficulty to the attempts to track them down.
The devices which were used for the free testing are similar to home glucose testing devices and contain needles to draw blood. Each test requires a new needle to be – which was not always done at the event. This poses a risk of exposure to other participants’ blood and potential risks of contracting diseases such as Hepatitis B and C and HIV.
The students conducted the free tests during the American Indian Week Pueblo Days. The mistakes became known on May 10, said the AP.
If you, or somebody you know, have participated in the free testing at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, please see your doctor.
