Medical Technician Is Criminally Charged in Hospital Hepatitis C Outbreak
A former hospital medical technician with hepatitis C has been criminally charged in federal court in New Hampshire based on accusations that he infected at least 30 patients with the blood disease by injecting himself with a potent anesthetic intended for patients and then replacing the drug with another liquid in the same contaminated syringe.
Defendant David Matthew Kwiatkowski told authorities he didn’t know until recently that he has hepatitis C, but there is evidence that has had it since at least June 2010, according to Foster’s Daily Democrat and a Federal Bureau of Investigation press release.
He is charged with tampering with a consumer product and obtaining controlled substances by fraud.
Authorities are investigating to determine whether other patients at other hospitals in other states may have been infected.
The Boston Herald also has a story.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Addicted Surgical Technician May Have Infected at Least 23 Patients With Hepatitis”
