Girl tests HIV positive after doctor injects ‘used syringe’ in UP

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said on Saturday that an explanation has been sought from the principal of the Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi Government Medical College in Etah over reports that a child had tested positive for HIV after a doctor used the same syringe on several patients.

On Saturday, the parents of the girl admitted to the hospital complained to District Magistrate Ankit Kumar Agarwal that many children had received injections from the same syringe.

Dr Sanjith Saseedharan, Consultant & Head Critical Care, SL Raheja Hospital, Mahim-A Fortis Associate said that 'one needle, one syringe, once' is a universal preventive measure, 'which means it cannot be done any other way and should to be instinctive. “

What happened in UP?

Relatives of the girl, who was admitted to the hospital on February 20, claimed that when the child was found to be HIV positive, the health workers kicked her out of the hospital at night. The District Magistrate, who ordered a probe into the alleged incident, told a query that after receiving the complaint, an inquiry was initiated and handed over to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

Etah CMO Umesh Kumar Tripathi said he came to know about the alleged incident and the District Magistrate ordered an inquiry into it. The report will be sent to the district magistrate after the investigation is over, he said.

In a tweet, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said, “Immediately take cognizance of the incident related to a doctor injecting multiple patients with the same syringe at Etah Medical College and getting a report of the child testing as HIV positive an explanation was requested from the director of the medical faculty.” “If any doctor is found guilty, strict action will be taken against him,” he said.

Harmful effects of using one syringe on multiple people

Single-use syringes designed for single use have been around since the 1990s, when HIV began to spread. The reuse of syringes and/or needles is the most appalling type of unsafe injection practice, as it can carry a significant risk of transmission of blood-borne pathogens, as evidenced by numerous outbreak investigations.

Dr Saseedharan told, “This practice contains the highest number of chances of transmitting infectious diseases. Reusing a needle or syringe can put patients at risk of contracting hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HIV.” “These 30 students are at higher risk of developing necrotizing fasciitis (a flesh-eating bacteria). Necrotizing fasciitis spreads rapidly and aggressively in an infected person. It causes tissue death at the site of infection and beyond,” he added.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines require that drugs labeled “single-use” or “disposable” be used on only one patient. This procedure protects patients from life-threatening infections that occur when drugs are contaminated through unsafe use.

Syringe reuse can expose patients to other patients' blood (either directly through a used syringe/needle or indirectly through a medication container that becomes contaminated when a used needle or syringe comes into contact with it), CDC considers these “never events.” If identified, these practices warrant notification and testing of potentially exposed patients for blood-borne pathogens.