Teh One Who Knocks
07-12-2012, 11:17 PM
By Michael Booth - The Denver Post
http://i.imgur.com/Af30A.jpg
A dentist with offices in Highlands Ranch and Cherry Creek may have reused sedation syringes on other patients for nearly 12 years, and state health officials are asking all of his surgical patients to get tested for HIV and hepatitis.
State officials said Dr. Stephen Stein hasn't practiced since June 2011, and another oral surgeon not accused of any wrongdoing took over the office. The state said notifications are going out to the many patients covered in that time period, but that it is going public now in order to speed up the process of potential victims getting tests.
"Needles and syringes were used repeatedly, often for days at a time," according to a question-and-answer page on the state web site.
No infections have been reported to date, officials said. The state said it is dealing with at least 8,000 patient records.
The focus is on patients who received IV medications for sedation, from September 1999 to June 2011. Those who are unsure if they received IV medication should get tested anyway, the department said; those who are sure they did not receive an IV "do not need to be tested," the release said.
"Patients may be at risk if they were seen by Stein during these time frames and at these locations," the state release said:
"September 1999 to June 2011 at Stein Oral and Facial Surgery, 8671 S. Quebec St., #230, Highlands Ranch, CO, 80130; and, August 2010 to June 2011 at Stein Oral and Facial Surgery, 3737 E. 1st Ave., Suite B, Denver, CO, 80206. Patients also were seen at this location by Stein under another name, New Image Dental Implant Center."
"Upon investigation, it was determined syringes and needles used to inject medications through patients' IV lines were saved and used again to inject medications through other patients' IV lines," the state health department said. "This practice has been shown to transmit infections."
The state said it did not know whether patients of Stein before 1999 might also be at risk.
The department suggested any patients who feel they meet those criteria should contact their health provider and seek tests for HIV antibody, Hepatitis C antibody, and Hepatitis B surface antigen and Hepatitis B core antibody.
The state said Stein was a licensed dentist who also practiced oral surgery.
Stein entered into a cessation of practice agreement with the state dental examiners board on June 24, 2011, the state said.
http://i.imgur.com/Af30A.jpg
A dentist with offices in Highlands Ranch and Cherry Creek may have reused sedation syringes on other patients for nearly 12 years, and state health officials are asking all of his surgical patients to get tested for HIV and hepatitis.
State officials said Dr. Stephen Stein hasn't practiced since June 2011, and another oral surgeon not accused of any wrongdoing took over the office. The state said notifications are going out to the many patients covered in that time period, but that it is going public now in order to speed up the process of potential victims getting tests.
"Needles and syringes were used repeatedly, often for days at a time," according to a question-and-answer page on the state web site.
No infections have been reported to date, officials said. The state said it is dealing with at least 8,000 patient records.
The focus is on patients who received IV medications for sedation, from September 1999 to June 2011. Those who are unsure if they received IV medication should get tested anyway, the department said; those who are sure they did not receive an IV "do not need to be tested," the release said.
"Patients may be at risk if they were seen by Stein during these time frames and at these locations," the state release said:
"September 1999 to June 2011 at Stein Oral and Facial Surgery, 8671 S. Quebec St., #230, Highlands Ranch, CO, 80130; and, August 2010 to June 2011 at Stein Oral and Facial Surgery, 3737 E. 1st Ave., Suite B, Denver, CO, 80206. Patients also were seen at this location by Stein under another name, New Image Dental Implant Center."
"Upon investigation, it was determined syringes and needles used to inject medications through patients' IV lines were saved and used again to inject medications through other patients' IV lines," the state health department said. "This practice has been shown to transmit infections."
The state said it did not know whether patients of Stein before 1999 might also be at risk.
The department suggested any patients who feel they meet those criteria should contact their health provider and seek tests for HIV antibody, Hepatitis C antibody, and Hepatitis B surface antigen and Hepatitis B core antibody.
The state said Stein was a licensed dentist who also practiced oral surgery.
Stein entered into a cessation of practice agreement with the state dental examiners board on June 24, 2011, the state said.