Notice To Veterans - Possible Hepatitis or HIV Infection

Health Alert: Prostate Biopsy Devices Used By The VA May Have Been Contaminated

This notice applies to all Veterans who may have received prostate biopsies at Veterans hospitals between 1997 and 2001. It is possible that you have been infected with Hepatitis B, C, or HIV. Apparently there are questions about the adequacy of the sterilization techniques for the BK Biopsy Transducer devices. The VA will provide testing and follow up with those possibly infected. The news on this is coming out piecemeal across the country, so please pass the information on.

This is an absolutely outrageous situation. First, that they utilized this device for four years and didn't catch the problem, and then that it took them another five years to figure it out. This is beyond negligence.

In searching for news reports on this, it is coming out in local news with no overall figures of Veterans possibly impacted. What numbers I could find were:

Portland, Or. 2200
Contra Costa 30,000
Tennessee 413
Rochester NY no number given.

According to the ContraCosta Times (the most informative article I found) the problem period could stretch from 1985 to April 2006. Twenty-one VA hospitals used the device. There is no single number for Veterans to call for more information. If you are possibly impacted by this, then I would recommend calling your closest Veterans Hospital , or the VA where you had the prostate biopsy done. VA officials quoted in the various articles state that the risk of infection is low but possible.