Study: Hepatitis Viruses Transmittable During Misuse of Anesthesia

Written by Rob Kurtz | July 22, 2010

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A new study, published in the journal Gastroenterology, shows the hepatitis B and C virus can be transmitted during improper intravenous administration of anesthesia, according to a news release from the American Gastroenterological Association.

Doctors performing the study examined an outbreak of acute HBV and HCV infections among patients who received anesthesia during endoscopy procedures from the same anesthesiologist in two different gastroenterology clinics.

They identified six cases of outbreak-associated HBC and six cases of outbreak-associated HCV infection in one clinic, and one outbreak-associated HCV infection in a second clinic.

The patients in both clinics received propofol from this same anesthesiologist, who inappropriately used a single-use vial of propofol for multiple patients; reuse of syringes to re-dose patients, with resulting contamination of medication vials used for subsequent patients, likely resulted in viral transmission, the study concludes.

The findings are consistent with other investigations of HBV and HCV infection in healthcare settings, according to the news release.

Read the American Gastroenterological Association news release on anesthesia misuse.

Read more recent anesthesia news and analysis:

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- PQRI 0.5% Bonus for Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology

- 5 Observations on Anesthesia in ASCs From Syed Ishaq of Somnia Anesthesia

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