Salem Hospital alerts hundreds to possible exposure to HIV, hepatitis infections

SALEM, Mass. — Salem Hospital warned some patients who may have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis due to incorrectly administered IVs.

The hospital says about 450 endoscopy patients may have been exposed to HIV, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B over a two-year period.

Salem Hospital says the possibility of infection from the incident is “extremely small” and that there are no reported instances of infection yet.

The hospital says patients were alerted at the beginning of 2023.

Endoscopy patients are those who undergo any kind of visual imaging on an organ such as a colonoscopy, a cystoscopy and a laryngoscopy.

“Once identified, the practice was immediately corrected, and the hospital’s quality and infection control teams were notified,” Salem Hospital said in a statement through their parent company, Mass General Brigham.

Salem Hospital says they have notified all patients who were potentially exposed to HIV and Hepatitis, established a free clinician staff hotline to answer questions, and are providing them with free screenings.

The hospital says that once officials were made aware of the incident, their quality and infection control teams were notified.

“We sincerely apologize to those who have been impacted and we remain committed to delivering high-quality, compassionate health care to our community,” Salem Hospital said.

Salem Hospital was not able to provide an exact figure regarding the number of endoscopic procedures that may have been impacted.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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