Denver hospital put patients at risk of infection

Some patients at a Denver hospital might be at risk of contracting hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV because surgical instruments weren’t properly cleaned.

Larry Wolk, head of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, says instruments weren’t cleaned adequately at Porter Adventist Hospital following orthopedic and spine surgeries, which might have compromised the sterilization process.

The department doesn’t know of any patients who were infected because of the practice, and the hospital didn’t immediately respond to a Denver Post question about how many might have been affected.

Porter Adventist spokeswoman Chrissy Nicholson released a statement Wednesday saying the hospital is addressing problems with cleaning surgical instruments before sterilization.