More than 3,000 people may have been exposed to bloodborne pathogens from January 2018 to September 2018 at an ambulatory surgery facility in New Jersey, according to a December 26, 2018, CNN article. According to CNN, a New Jersey Department of Health investigation revealed that employees at the surgery center were neither following sterilization procedures nor cleaning medical instruments correctly, potentially exposing patients to bloodborne pathogens including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV. No infections have been traced to the lapses in protocol and all potentially affected patients have been informed, CNN said. A letter sent from the facility advised patients to get blood tests for the aforementioned pathogens. The organization wrote that its members "understand this may be upsetting" and added that it would assist patients in the process, including paying for any testing that may be required.

HRC Recommends: Failures in high-level disinfection and sterilization of medical devices are key concerns for healthcare organizations. For example, inadequate endoscope reprocessing appeared on ECRI Institute lists of the top 10 patient safety concerns and health technology hazards. Healthcare organizations should monitor disinfection and sterilization procedures to ensure adherence to proper infection control techniques. Organizations should also stay alert for additional information and resources that may help reduce the risks of equipment-associated infections.