Tulsa County Dentist May Have Exposed 7,000 Patients To HIV, Hepatitis

[dioscorides]

Tulsa County Dentist May Have Exposed 7,000 Patients To HIV, Hepatitis
Brandi Ball, NewsOn6.com

Tulsa County Health Department officials announce that a local dentist may have exposed 7,000 patients to blood-borne viruses. Tulsa County Health Department officials announce that a local dentist may have exposed 7,000 patients to blood-borne viruses.

A Tulsa dentist may have exposed as many as 7,000 patients to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV since 2007, Tulsa County Health Department officials announced at a news conference on Thursday afternoon.

Officials said one of Harrington's patients contracted hepatitis B, which began the investigation.

An investigation into the practice of W. Scott Harrington, D.M.D. found numerous violations of health and safety laws and major violations of the State Dental Act, the department said. Dental Board investigators have been assisted by agents from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration concerning the maintenance, control and use of drugs on the premises, according to the board.

Harrington and his office voluntarily discontinued practicing upon the beginning of the investigation, according to officials.

The next step is to notify approximately 7,000 patients about potential exposure to blood-borne viruses. Patients who had procedures at Harrington's dental practice, located on South Atlanta Place in Tulsa or in Owasso, Oklahoma, will begin to receive letters in the mail from the health department. Patient information was only available for the past seven years, the department said.

"Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV are serious medical conditions and infected patients may not have outward symptoms of the disease for many years," a news release said. "As a precaution, and in order to take appropriate steps to protect their health, it is important for these patients to get tested. It should be noted that transmission in this type of occupational setting is rare."

All testing will be done for free at the Tulsa Health Department's North Regional Health and Wellness Center located at 5635 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Services will be provided on a walk-in basis starting on Saturday, March 30 from 10 a.m.– 2 p.m. and will resume on Monday, April 1 from 8 a.m.– 6 p.m. In addition, the health department has set up a hotline at 918 -595-4500 for people with questions about this notification or hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV.

http://www.newson6.com/story/21820518/tulsa-county-dentist-may-have-exposed-patients-to-hiv-hepatitis

[Conan71]

Well there's a bunch of frightened people running around now.  Unbelievable that this schmoe doesn't take his responsibility as a health provider seriously.

[Teatownclown]

Holy Cow...lead story on ABC National !

[guido911]

Drudge is covering it....

[Teatownclown]

Drudge is covering it....

Proof that the story is more hyperbole than a disaster.

This won't be the first time THD has made a story bad situation serve as a warning to the community.

Unfortunately, it makes our city look dirty.

Harrington's the dirty one....

[DolfanBob]

My better half knows him. And she is saying that his younger wife, who "may" be upset with him. Probably set this in motion.
This is of no shock to me. Because I know a couple of Dentists who like to hire very young and attractive assistants. And usually get involved with one or two of them over a period of time. Not judging. Just being jealous. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2300697/Rusty-instruments-reused-needles-Oklahoma-dental-office-exposed-7-000-patients-HIV-hepatitis.html

[patric]

It's pretty much world news now, either because of the scope, or the belief that something like this was almost impossible.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21976581
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/29/health/oklahoma-dental-warning/index.html
http://healthland.time.com/2013/03/28/hiv-test-urged-for-7000-oklahoma-dental-patients/
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/world/us-dental-clinic-in-oklahoma-a-menace-to-public-health/story-fnddckzi-1226609294629
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/29/oklahoma-dentist-hiv/2030373/
http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Patients-on-edge-after-dentist-investigation/x03ghSYbSUOjMIfJOS7sZg.cspx
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g1ZOkAJ4ojBst-WNwLR9dutlnsUg?docId=CNG.3932bc2fe49f68abf76852e82ea3843c.3c1

[zstyles]

I guess I don't get this, isn't there more than one person working in an office, is this about sterilizing tools? They make it sound like HE had the infections and shot them up with his blood..so this is about dirty tools..when I go to the dentist I see him personally for just a few minutes its the rest of the office staff, I am sure he isn't the one cleaning these, am I wrong? Help me out here...wouldn't the dental assistants be to blame or whoever cleans these things?

Here is what I see, he trusted the people he hired by this quote

"Dental assistants needing an extra dose of an anesthetic would re-insert used needles into drug vials, drug vials were used on multiple patients, the office had no written infection-protection procedure and Harrington told officials he left questions about sterilization and drug procedures to his employees." so it seems like yes he is ultimately responsible and should have been up to date on what HIS staff was doing but there is more than one fish to fry here...

[davideinstein]

I got my wisdom teeth pulled by this idiot in 2008. Awesome.

[AquaMan]

Zstyles-Not really. He is responsible period. That's one reason why medical professionals are well paid (and pay a lot for mal insurance) is because they ultimately decide the professionalism of their offices through their hiring and supervision.

7000 patients since 2007 and two different locations seems like a lot of business for one dentist to watch over, but I feel certain mine could handle it. He is no-nonsense and his staff runs a tight ship. This guy screwed up somewhere.

[Breadburner]

Way over blown....

[Hoss]

Way over blown....

I'm guessing if you were one of the seven-thousand, then not so much.

[Conan71]

I'm guessing if you were one of the seven-thousand, then not so much.

Story is over-blown.  It was written to make 7000 people to smile their pants thinking they are now HIV positive.

Like someone else said lots of hyperbole.  I suspect the impact is a very small percentage.  Don't get me wrong, there's no excusing the behavior, but no reason to believe everyone of his patients got blood-borne pathogens which is what the sensational headlines suggest.

[Hoss]

Story is over-blown.  It was written to make 7000 people to smile their pants thinking they are now HIV positive.

Like someone else said lots of hyperbole.  I suspect the impact is a very small percentage.  Don't get me wrong, there's no excusing the behavior, but no reason to believe everyone of his patients got blood-borne pathogens which is what the sensational headlines suggest.

And if you or your daughters or Mrs C had used this guy?

I'm not saying the media isn't overplaying this, but I'd be pissing my pants right now if I had been one of his patients.

Let's not marginalize it, either.  The reason it got such big air play is because the potential number of victims is the highest the CDC has ever heard of in one case.  That's what made it news-worthy.

[Breadburner]

Way over-blown....