Duke Hospitals Put Patients in Jeopardy

Myrtle Beach

Over two months last year, 3,800 patients at two hospitals run by Duke University Health System were exposed to surgery with instruments that were washed in hydraulic fluid instead of detergent, hospital regulators say.

Duke Health Raleigh (formerly Raleigh Community) and Durham Regional hospitals put patients in "immediate jeopardy" in November and December of last year by not detecting the problem, despite complaints from medical staff about slick tools, the regulators said.

But seven months later, dozens of patients who were exposed to the surgical instruments are reporting lingering health problems some minor, such as fatigue and joint pain, and others serious, requiring hospitalization, the newspaper said.

Luanne Williams, a state toxicologist, said knowing the exact chemical contents of the hydraulic fluid is important. Although the contents of the manufactured product are available, other substances might have been introduced during the fluid's use in the elevator, giving it a unique chemical composition.