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The Tulsa Health Department announced
that approximately 60 former patients of Dr. W. Scott Harrington’s dental
clinics tested positive for hepatitis or HIV. Harrington was criticized by the
state dental board for poor sterilization practices. More than 7,000 patients
of his Tulsa and Owasso clinics were sent letters in March notifying them of
the risk of infection and advising them how to get free blood testing. Of 3,122
persons tested by county health departments, 57 tested positive for hepatitis
C, three for hepatitis B, and one for HIV.
The Tulsa and Oklahoma Health
Departments are in the process of informing patients of the results. Health
officials will personally contact those who tested positive, provide counseling
about the disease, and direct them to appropriate resources for treatment.
Testing may also be recommended for their spouses or partners. Dr. Kristy
Bradley, an epidemiologist, noted that the source of the infections is under
investigation. She explained that the next phase will include more interviews
of persons who tested positive to determine the likelihood that their exposure
is associated with their dental procedure at the practice.
A surprise inspection of
Harrington’s practice on March 18 was prompted by a patient’s positive test for
HIV and hepatitis The complaint filed by the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry stated
that the dentist was using old needles and rusty instruments, and poured bleach
on patients’ wounds until they turned white. Also, instruments used for
patients who had an infectious disease were given an extra dip in bleach in
addition to normal cleaning methods. However, the tools had rust spots,
indicating that they were porous and could not be properly sterilized.
Harrington had been practicing for more than 30 years. He voluntarily gave up
his dental license and may face criminal charges.
The Tulsa Health Department has
established a hotline at (918) 595-4500 for people with questions.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit:
http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
