The U.S. Air Force notified 135 patients who underwent colonoscopy or endoscopy procedures between April 2008 and April 2016 at Qatar-based Al Udeid Air Base that providers may have treated them with improperly cleaned scopes, Military.com reports.
Here's what you should know:
1. The scopes were not cleaned in accordance to FDA guidelines, an Air Force spokesperson told Military.com.
2. The spokesperson believes the scopes could've exposed the patients to human immunodeficiency virus. The Air Force recommends all patients undergo diagnostic testing, despite a low infection risk.
3. Hospital employees cleaned the scopes using an "alternate method" rather than the recommended process. During equipment reprocessing, the flushing and brushing of scope lumens was improperly completed.
4. The spokesperson recommends all affected patients contact the Air Force for more information.