Nov 14, 2007 10:55 pm US/Eastern
Syringe Scare: Hundreds Tested For HIV, Hepatitis
L.I. Doctor At Center Of Massive Case Of Alleged Negligence
PLAINVIEW, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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The New York State Health Department and Dr. Harvey Finklestein are under fire after the doctor's alleged sloppy decision with needles caused as many as 630 patients to be tested for dangerous diseases such as HIV and hepatitis.
CBS
CBS 2 HD has learned of a shocking case of medical negligence on Long Island. A doctor may have exposed hundreds of patients to potentially deadly diseases like AIDS and hepatitis -- all because he allegedly re-used needles.
As many as 630 people have been informed by New York State they must be tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
Harvey Finklestein is an anesthesiologist with an office on Old Country Road. The state Health Department and the Nassau County Health Department say he gave one of his patients hepatitis C, a permanent life-threatening disease.
When doctors inject medicine into patients they automatically throw away the needle and syringe to prevent any cross contamination. Nassau County health officials say Dr. Finklestein threw away the needles but not the medicine left over or sometimes the plastic syringe or medicine vials.
Officials say that improper technique led to the infection of at least one of his patients with chronic hepatitis C.
"Some of the fluid comes back up and gets contaminated back into the syringe," Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi said.
On Wednesday, Suozzi criticized both Dr. Finklestein and the state Health Department for not informing people for years.
"This came to my attention Friday of last week when (Deputy County Executive) Dr. (Mary) Curtis was pushing the state to issue a press release instead of just notifying the patients."
Curtis said the state Health Department has a lot to answer for.
"The health department knew since January of 2005," Dr. Curtis said.
The following is highlights of the letter sent to 630 people last week by the state Health Department:
* 630 people must test for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C.
* These are all the patients Dr. Finklestein had for five years before January 2005.
* Nassau County says 98 have already been informed and tested for hepatitis C and two have hepatitis C.
* One contracted disease from Dr. Finklestein.
Patients were understandably upset.
"My heart sank a little bit," Cathy Schmitt said. "Yeah, I'm nervous. I'm going to get tested again, just in case."
CBS 2 HD spoke with state Health Commissioner Richard Daines and he said the reason why it took more than two years is because it took investigators that long to figure out what Dr. Finklestein had done.
Daines pointed out also that Dr. Finklestein did not have his license revoked by the state medical board.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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