Biopsy and HIV/AIDS

On June 19, 2006, the FDA issued a health notification regarding reusable ultrasound transducer assemblies used for various biopsy procedures. These instruments may not have been cleaned properly between uses. This problem with reusable ultrasound transducer assemblies was first noticed at a VA medical center. In one VA medical center, a doctor noticed feces in a guide to the biopsy needle after sterilization. It was then discovered that this guide was not brushed clean before sterilization and that none of the reusable guides had been brushed clean before sterilization for the previous 3 years. As a result of these findings, thousands of veterans who underwent a prostate biopsy at VA medical centers around the country have been notified that they may be at risk for HIV/AIDS.

Although it was initially thought that the problem was limited to the ultrasound transducer assemblies used at a few VA medical centers, the FDA now believes the problem may apply to all reusable ultrasound transducer assemblies used for biopsies. Reusable ultrasound transducer assemblies are not used for all biopsies. If you have had a biopsy, you should contact the medical professional who preformed it. Ask the medical professional if a reusable ultrasound transducer assembly was used for the biopsy. If so, you should consult with your physician as to whether you should be tested for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. We are a law firm, not medical professionals. We can not give medical advice. You need to consult a medical professional.

Links to Information about HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis The following links to information about HIV and Hepatitis are provided by the lawyers at PritzkerOlsen, P.A. as a public service.

HIV Information:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): CDC fact sheet on HIV-2
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): CDC fact sheet on HIV transmission
AIDSinfo: A service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services which offers information on HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and research
CDC Portal Page: Portal to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) information on HIV/AIDS
Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Information on treatment of HIV/AIDS from the FDA, the regulatory body responsible for drug treatments

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