Blood Bank Setup Faulted in HIV-Tainted Transfusion

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1995. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Blood Bank Setup Faulted in HIV-Tainted Transfusion

Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition (12/19/95) P. B1
Meyer, Josh

The Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles has been named in a $1.5-million lawsuit alleging that the facility's mismanagement resulted in the transfusion of HIV- positive blood to Aleta J. Clemons. Clemons had entered the county-run facility for a routine hysterectomy. The suit, which also names the county, has been tentatively settled for $450,000. The county's acting director of health services, Mary Jung, called the incident "isolated," adding, "As soon as we found out about it, we took immediate action." However, citations from the FDA, an investigative report by the Department of Health Services, and Civil Service Commission records indicate that the blood bank suffered from inadequate staffing, employee training, communication, and safety policies. County investigators also found that hospital officials had altered computer blood bank records to protect the confidentiality of donors without informing employees who needed to know the blood's HIV status. FDA District Director Elaine C. Messa sent a warning letter to King/Drew last January, citing the blood bank with several violations.

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