According to Helsinki University Central Hospital officials, patients who had blood tests taken at the HUSLAB laboratory in Kamppi between the hours of 8:45 am and 12:45 pm on Wednesday may have been exposed to contagious diseases due to the use of already-used needles.
According to physician and chief of HUCH's infectious disease department Asko Järvinen said the incident affected a maximum of 19 people. He said the errors were due to a series of mistakes by lab technicians.
"The needles that were reused were a little larger and did not fit into the [medical sharps] disposal container and were placed in a cup. The cup should have been emptied but it was not, and the needles were there the following day," Järvinen told Yle.
"The needles were there for more than 12 hours. The following day, for some reason, someone used those needles and also opened a protective lid. There were a series of mistakes," Järvinen said.
HIV or hepatitis B or C exposure "possible"
The hospital characterised the chances that the 19 patients who were injected with dirty needles would be infected with an illness is slight - but the hospital said thoretically there is a risk that patients could have potentially been exposed to HIV or hepatitis B or C.
Markus Henriksson, health affairs officer at Valvira, the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health, says the case is "serious."
"It's a serious case. It feels strange. My first reaction was surprise, but I am still pleased that the issue was handled so quickly and that precautionary measures for the future have been taken," Henriksson said.
Could it happen again?
When asked whether or not Wednesday's mistakes could possibly be repeated, Järvinen said:
"Such a thing should not happen and one can always say that mistakes were made. It's now been pointed out that any and all needles should not be collected the way they were. The needles should immediately be put in a [disposal] container where they cannot be removed again," Järvinen said.
Järvinen said that lab routines were immediately reviewed upon discovery of the errors.
The lab technician who mistakenly used dirty needles on patients was the person who notified superiors, according to hospital officials.
