My chosen article for this week is about an Oklahoma dentist who has been using dirty instruments in his practice. Oklahoma state and county heath inspectors became suspicious of Dr. Harrington's practice when a low risk patient tested positive for HIV and Hepatitis C and the patient had a dental procedure around the time of exposure. Upon investigation it was discovered that there were "major violations" of the Oklahoma Dental Act and Mr. Harrington's practice was using dirty instruments to perform procedures. The violations include reusing needles, administering drugs without a license, and using rusty instruments.
Officials are now sending letters to 7,000 people who are past patients of Dr. Harrington, urging them to get tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
This underlying problem of this article related to microbiology. The dentist failed to sterilize his instruments and so microbes were transferred from patient to patient. I believe the story is sad, but also interesting. It is sad to know that in today's world, where we have access to the tools necessary to prevent cases such as these, there are still reports of persons who do not use the resources available. The interesting thing about the story is how easy it is to infect others if the correct precautions are not taken. I believe the source is reliable.
"Thousands of Oklahoma patients urged to get tested for HIV, hepatitis after investigation shows dirty instruments in use | Fox News." Fox News - Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Photos & News Videos. Fox News, 29 Mar. 2013. Web. 5 Apr. 2013. <http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/03/29/thousands-oklahoma-dental-patients-urged-to-get-tested-for-hiv/>.
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